Mawditt wins Tour in dramatic style

VICTORIAN Lionel Mawditt has produced a dramatic final-stage comeback to snatch one of the most unlikely Tour of Tasmania victories.

The 22-year-old In Form Tineli rider entered the last stage of the 2017 edition 26 seconds behind James Whelan heading into the 54km criterium along the Devonport foreshore. But when Whelan, a solo entrant into the tour, failed to feature in a 16-man breakaway early in the stage it turned the podium on its head.

It was a tight battle among the 16 riders, with several teams competing for the stage win eventually taken out by Satalyst Verve’s Harrison Bailey. But all eyes were on Mawditt as he snatched the yellow leader’s jersey by turning a 26-second deficit into a memorable 24-second victory.

“It just feels surreal. I just feel like I’m in a dream expecting to wake up any minute,” Mawditt said on winning the tour.

Whelan slipped to third overall in the general classification.

Mawditt adds his name to an impressive honour roll that includes some of the biggest names in Australian cycling in Cadel Evans, Richie Porte, Nathan Haas and Cameron Meyer.

World and national track champion Michael Freiberg was crowned the overall 2017 National Road Series champion, while his Isowhey Sports Swiss wellness celebrated an eighth straight team’s victory. This is despite Freiberg and his team not competing in the Tour of Tasmania.