Jayco Herald Sun Tour: Aussie Chris Harper living the dream alongside idols

CHRIS Harper is your typical young cycling enthusiast, burning the midnight oil in winter to watch his idols in the Tour de France. But now he’s racing with them.

Herald Sun Tour Stage 2. Yarra Glen to Moe. Chris Harper of team State of Matter Maap in the break with Yuma Koishi during todays stage . Pic: Michael Klein

CHRIS Harper is your typical young cycling enthusiast, burning the midnight oil in the middle of winter to watch his idols in the Tour de France.

Except the lanky 21-year-old from Adelaide is doing what millions can only dream of - racing with them.

But it says plenty about Harper that he isn’t content with just rolling along beside the Team Sky, Orica-GreenEDGE and Trek-Segafredo pros in the peloton.

The State of Matter/MAAP rider yesterday took it to them, winning the most aggressive and king of the mountain classifications in an eye-catching performance in the 144.2km Stage 2 from Yarra Glen to Moe.

Harper spent nearly 70km in the day’s defining breakaway, at one stage holding a lead of more than five minutes on the field beside Japan’s Yuma Koishi (Nippo-Vini Fantini).

When Koishi decided he’d had enough on the toughest climb of the day towards Noojee, Harper was lapping up the “TV time” solo.

“It’s my first Herald Sun Tour and good to get up the front. It was great fun,” Harper said.

“I wasn’t too far down on the overall so the plan was too sit in and take it easy all day and try and make that front group on the final climb (in Moe). But after the first sprint (Chris) Froome sort of went hard to bring it all back together, so I just thought I’d whack it and see what happens.

“It ended up being the break of the day.”

Chris Froome during stage 2.

He was caught by a motivated peloton at the 100km mark and eventually crossed the finish line 28 seconds behind the Caleb Ewan-led front group. But, in a way, he’d already won.

“Sometimes it’s best to give it a crack. You sort of know you’re not going to win the stage but you never know, something could happen and they could misjudge it and you are actually going for the win,” Harper said.

“It’s great to be up the road and give yourself a chance, but also to get a bit of exposure and thank some of the sponsors who support us.”

Chris Harper leads Yuma Koishi in the break. Picture: Michael Klein

Like so many in his position, Harper has grand plans of racing in Europe with the elite of the sport. He admits he’s still pinching himself a bit.

“It’s awesome. I got to do Cadel’s race last Sunday as well and it’s such a great experience to race with guys you’re sitting up late watching in the Tour de France and now they’re racing next to you,” he said.

“It’s a pretty unreal experience.”