Zigzag king Cameron Ivory can't get enough of Tasmanian races.
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The New South Welshman won the Tour of Tasmania prologue for the third year running a year after claiming the Stan Siejka Classic and hillclimb challenge then revealed he even came to the state to train last month.
"Two weeks ago I did a mountain bike enduro in Derby," Ivory said.
"I just survived. I stayed within my limits. It's a very technical course so I was glad to get through unscathed and had a lot of fun so it did not feel like training."
It clearly paid off as the former Commonwealth Games mountain bike representative again conquered the gut-busting 590-metre individual time trial up Launceston's twisting Brisbane Street West.
Neither a top quality field nor horrendous winds could slow down the 27-year-old from Newcastle who also came second the year before his hat-trick of wins and crashed when leading the 2017 Classic.
"Coming from a mountain bike background, a lot of the corners out there really suit me.
"It may be short but you still need to pace yourself. No-one can go 100 per cent the whole time and maintain that so you have to have some control.
"I like to get on top of the gears and maintain my cadence.
"I'm happy with the time but when I was out there I did not feel I was having a good ride. But when I felt like I was starting to pop I knew I was at my limit."
It may be short but you still need to pace yourself
- Cameron Ivory
Adelaide-based Ivory's lengthy catalogue of Tasmanian triumphs also includes the final stage of last year's Tour of Tasmania in Devonport which enabled his GPM Stulz teammate Cam Roberts to finish third overall.
"Tasmania is really my favourite tour of the year. It's nice to come away for a longer tour. I like that solid racing."
Nineteenth away from the field of 83 riders, Ivory clocked a time of 1:18.57 at a stunning average speed of 30.9 km/h over the slightly-reduced course and then had to wait more than an hour to find out he had won.
Eight months after claiming the under-23 Oceania road race title on Tasmanian soil, West Australian teenager Tyler Lindorff (BridgeLane) celebrated his return with second place in 1:23.01.
And a year after securing the National Road Series crown on Tasmanian soil, former German hillclimb champion Raphael Freienstein (InForm TM Insight MAKE) completed the podium in a time of 1:23.43.
Another mountain bike convert, Hobart's Ben Bradley, was the fastest of the 19 Tasmanian riders taking part on home soil, coming in eighth, eight seconds behind Ivory.
Bradley will be eyeing up Thursday's second stage mountain-top finish having recently won the Poatina Challenge on the same course.
Reigning tour champ Dylan Sunderland (BridgeLane), of NSW, was 12 seconds down in 21st.
The Tour of Tasmania continues on Wednesday with a 115.9km stage from George Town to Grindelwald beginning at 10.30am.
On Thursday riders head off from Longford with a 71.5km stage up Poatina Hill. The men set off at 10am and the women's tour begins at 1.45pm.
Friday is a 70.5km trundle from Ulverstone to Riana via Gunns Plains before both tours conclude with criteriums in Devonport on Saturday (women 36km at 9.30am, men 54km at 11.30am).
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