Aussies rule in Japan

Well, that's true in a sense.

Exhibit A: South Australia.com-AIS's Zakkari Dempster took his first international victory after taking the first stage of the 12th Tour of Japan. The 20 year old Australian took the bunch sprint ahead of Japan's Taiji Nishitani (Aisan Racing Team) and German Benjamin Stauder (Stegcomputer-CKT-Cogeas). "This is fantastic and I'm very happy!" Dempster said at the press conference following the stage. He also got the green leader jersey and the blue point jersey.

Exhibit B: South Australia.com-AIS's Wesley Sulzberger took stage 2 of the Tour of Japan, ahead of team-mate Cameron Meyer in Nara. The 21 year old Australian jumped away from the breakaway with Meyer and Kazuo Inoue (Nippo-Endeka) in the final lap before leaving the local rider behind to take both first and second in the stage and the overall. Sulzberger took over the overall lead from team-mate Zakkari Dempster, who won stage one in a sprint.

Exhibit C: Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com-AIS) takes his team's third victory at the Tour of Japan.

There's an ITT to come, which whilst short at 11km will shake things up on GC. And then 2 stages, the first a short road stage, the 2nd a circuit race. The ITT may be decisive.

And now a win for Hilton Clarke

Brought to you by yet another famous Aussie cycling family (funny how some things run in families, my local butcher is the same)... Clarke claims Beaufort win. Notice that it's a crit, and a big one. Anyone remember Shane Sutton winning the US Crit Champs about - umm - 20 years ago?

Did I mention...

• Hilton Clarke's win at Somerville?
• Or that it was Karpets first, then Rogers 2nd overall at Catalunya?
• Or that the most honest and perhaps briefest of EPO-users, Erik Zabel, has both won a stage and taken the lead at the Bayern Rundfahrt?
• Or that DiLuca is still out in front on GC at the Giro?
  

I should have mentioned all of that, anyway.