BALLARAT, Australia— At age 40, Estonian cyclist Jann Kirsipuu proved age is not a barrier as he staved of a much younger field in taking the opening stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia.

Having retired from professional racing in 2006 after an accomplished career with with AG2R and Crédit Agricole which included four Tour de France stage wins, the Estonian came back out of retirement earlier this year to take up a position on Malaysian team Le Tua.

Although he had retired from professional ranks he has continued racing at amateur level in Estonia taking a number of national titles. He told velonews.com that he had been inspired to return to professional racing earlier this year as an opportunity to tour countries he has never before seen.

Le Tua are one of the weaker teams in the field, leaving Kirsipuu to shoulder the weight of the team. None of his teammates were unable to keep up with the leaders.

Lady Luck was also on his side as he managed to avoid a number of crashes, one coming just 200 meters from the finish line.

For the Estonian sprint specialist, he knows that his time in the yellow jersey will be short-lived with his team lacking the man power to defend the jersey over the coming stages. This said, no one can take the victory away from the aging Estonian who will be relishing in the limelight.