On a day when he was determined to shine in home territory, the Ballarat cyclist was lucky to stay in the event after crashing inside the first five kilometres.

With skin off his left shoulder and elbow, he limped home near the tail of the field, more than 18 minutes behind stage winner Jaan Kirsipuu.

Shaw was disappointed on two fronts - his own misfortune and the inability of his Jayco Australian National team to give greater support to its leader and 2007 Herald Sun Tour winner Matthew Wilson.

Wilson was part of the 41-man breakaway which took control of the 149-kilometre stage, which started and finished in Ballarat, but Nick Aitken was his only teammate to join him in the group.

Shaw, 23, went down in a multiple rider fall at Mt Rowan and rode out the stage in discomfort.

"It's not a good start _ not the start I was looking for."

Shaw was able to ride back to the peloton after the fall, but said the effort had taken a toll and unfortunately when the big break was made near Newlyn he was too far back in the field to get on.

He said he had been hoping to do well on roads he was familiar with, but it was not be.

Shaw said the team's number one priority to work for Wilson had also not eventuated and this had added further to the disappointment of the day.

Wilson finished seventh, just four seconds down.

STUART Shaw from the ACT was another to fall in the Mt Rowan pile up, but he managed to go on to earn most aggressive jersey with a solo break away after about 70km.

He opened up a lead of more than two minutes before being closed down.

AUSTRALIAN criterium champion Bernard Sulzberger was among the first major casualties of the tour.

He was one of six riders in the 105-strong international field to withdraw before the end of the first stage.

Sulzberger's tour lasted less than 20km with him crashing out not long after passing through Creswick.