World Tour bound Dylan Sunderland and Chris Harper are making the Tour of Tasmania their own, with the dominant pairing continuing their strong results into stage three.
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Yellow jersey holder Sunderland took out the 70.5-kilometre Ulverstone to Riana stage, 18 seconds ahead of the main group of 14 riders which included BridgeLane teammates Harper, Nicholas White, Tasmanian Scott Bowden, Jason Lea and young riders leader, Tyler Lindorff.
The 23-year-old New South Welshman took advantage of a strong breeze just 10 kilometres out from the finish of the steep climbing stage, building off strong work from his teammates to secure the victory.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
The stage extended Sunderland's general classification lead on Harper out to 36 seconds with Lindorff (1:36) rounding out the minor placings.
Drapac Cannondale Holistic rider Jensen Plowright, who took out stage one with a bold breakaway, leads the sprint classification, nine points ahead of Sunderland, Rylee Field and Angus Lyons while Oliver Real Food Racing's Lyons leads the hill climb classification.
Team BridgeLane's Tour of Tasmania domination has put the cards on the table for an unlikely comeback victory in the National Road Series' team category, led by Team InForm MT Insight Make.
Heading into the NRS' final stage, InForm MT held an almost-unassailable 583-point lead over the closest rivals but the work of the seven-strong team has since reversed those fortunes.
In the women's tour, Sarah Gigante came within inches of securing her second straight stage win but was held out at the line by Specialized Women's Racing's Jaimie Gunning.
TOUR OF TASMANIA HUB
Gunning, who led a breakaway of six riders including Gigante, teammate Taryn Heather and Tasmanian Nicole Frain, was able to capitalise on the specialist work from her teammates to secure the stage two victory.
The win wasn't enough for Gunning to overtake Gigante's general classification lead, as she sits one minute and six seconds off the pace in third, while the leader's Roxsolt Attaquer team-mate Justine Barrow sits in second, 22 seconds away.
The stage two winner leads both the sprint and hill climb classifications while overall leader, 19-year-old Gigante, unsurprisingly leads the young rider classification.
Saturday's stage of competition sees the riders compete in a 36km criterium around the streets of Devonport with Sunderland and Gigante looking to seal the deal.
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