Haas takes a firm hold on the Tour of Gippsland

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Canberra university student Nathan Haas virtually parcelled up the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland today and is poised for the most important victory in his fast-developing professional cycling career.

 

With only one stage remaining in the 520km five-day event, Haas leads Bunbury teenager Bradley Linfield (Plan B) by 24secs, with a further 22secs to Queenslander Michael Cupitt (Budget Forklifts).

 

Haas, a former mountain biker who is studying for an Arts degree at Sydney University, is riding for the powerful Tasmanian-based Genesys Wealth Advisers team which has dominated the tour since it began in Wonthaggi last Wednesday.

 

Team-mates Patrick Shaw and Steele Von Hoff are leading the SP AusNet sprint championship and CreditCollect criterium titles respectively.

 

Haas has also clinched the Hotondo Homes king of the mountain championship. 

 

Haas rode conservatively today, finishing 16^th in the 33km criterium at Bairnsdale before a 14^th placing in the frenetic 69.3km eighth stage from Lakes Entrance to Metung.

 

He luckily escaped time loss on the Lakes Entrance-Metung journey when Canberra’s Benjamin Hill (Suzuki Trek) took a tumble on a hill climb and Haas momentarily ended up in a ditch. He also had a brush with a passing official race car.

 

“It was an awesome course into Metung but I had some scary moments out there,” Haas said after the stage.

 

“It could have been a disaster but my Genesys team-mates are doing a fantastic job for me and hopefully I’ve got this tour sewn up”.