NEW South Wales sprinting specialist Chris Sutton has his sights on an historic family double in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
Sutton is hoping to emulate his father Gary, who took out the tour in 1984.
To add to the family link with the time-honoured classic, Sutton's uncle Shane also won the Herald Sun Tour in 1983.
Shane Sutton now coaches his nephew.
The 25-year-old Chris Sutton made no secret of his desire to become part of the first father-son combination to join the tour's honour board after saluting in the second stage in Warrnambool yesterday.
After finishing second by the closest of margins to Jonathon Cantwell in the preface in Ballarat on Sunday and veteran Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu in stage one in Ballarat on Monday, it was finally Sutton's turn.
This time he had the better of Cantwell in an uphill sprint in blustery conditions at the end of a treacherous 141km stage from Colac.
While Cantwell missed a stage victory, he did enough with maximum time bonuses in the day's only two intermediate sprints to claim the leader's yellow jersey from Kirsipuu.
The 40-year-old Kirsipuu made a brave effort to retain the tour lead.
He was part of a 13-man breakaway which took a stranglehold on the second stage over the last 30km, but was unable to match the might of the United States-based Garmin Slipstream team, which as well as Sutton featured
the days most aggressive rider Svein Tuft and tour favourite Bradley Wiggins among the leaders.
Sutton put much of his success down to great teamwork. He said even though it had not been necessary the team had put in some big efforts.
The overall tour winner will almost certainly now come from the 13 riders which were first into Warrnambool.
The tour is likely to be decided in the individual time trial at Geelong on Friday. Sutton said he was unsure how well he would time trial given he had not raced in this discipline since the Tour of Switzerland mid-year.
Despite this he has no doubt he has what it takes to emulate his father and uncle in the race.
Sutton said he had high hopes of taking out overall honours in the six-day tour, which ends on the streets of Carlton on Saturday.
"The family history means a lot to me. I look up to what my father and uncle achieved," he said.
While it was a big day for Sutton and his Garmin Slipstream team, and Queenslander Jonathon Cantwell (Fly V Australia), for many riders yesterday was all about staying in the race.
The windy conditions took a significant toll, with 10 riders withdrawing after falls.
Three were taken to hospital: Joe Lewis (Australia) with a suspected broken elbow, Ben Greenwood (Great Britain) with facial injuries and Takeaki Ayabe (Japan) with a broken collarbone and head injuries.
Ballarat's Patrick Shaw (elbow) was also forced out after a second fall in as many days.
The tour continues with a 164km stage from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay today. This features a stage one and stage two climb.
Eighty-five riders remain in the race.
Email a friend