GEELONG, Australia (CT) — It came down to a battle of two teams at the women’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, with Orica-AIS finishing off a dream Australian season by taking the two top spots of the podium and Wiggle High5 putting up a valiant fight to come across the line in third and fourth.
It was Amanda Spratt, in the green and gold of the Australian national champions jersey, who delivered victory for Orica-AIS. Rachel Neylan, defending champion at the event which was this year titled the Deakin University Women’s race, again played the loyal teammate and took the sprint for second ahead of Wiggle High5’s Danielle King. Chloe Hosking then managed to beat the rest of the bunch to take fourth, even after throwing herself into the task of chasing down Spratt to try and give teammate King a chance to take the win.
You can relive the action by reading our full race report here and with these photos by Con Chronis.
-
- Sign on time for Emily Roper of the new National Road Series team, Hog’s Breath Cafe Tineli.
-
- Cadel Evan’s leads a bunch of juniors through before the start.
-
- Australia’s national road champion Amanda Spratt (Orica-AIS) and defending champion Rachel Neylan (Orica-AIS) looking comfortable out the front, even before the race has started.
-
- Little more than a week after setting a new UCI World Hour Record, Bridie O’Donnell (Rush Women’s Team) takes to the start line to play the domestique.
-
- While working out the front for teammate Ruth Corset (Rush Women’s Team), O’Donnell also scoops up enough points to take out the sprint jersey.
-
- The clouds are about but the rain stays away and the cross-winds don’t deliver the expected damage. “We really wanted to be able to split it in those cross-winds … unfortunately it wasn’t that way so we went to a bit of a plan B,” said Spratt.
-
- Spratt had time to celebrate as it was a clear solo run to the line.
-
- “In the end it was almost a Wiggle High5 versus Orica battle and we got the better of them,” said Spratt.
-
- “It was everything for the win,” said King. “I just had to try and time trial to the finish and obviously towed Rachel to the line so she ended up beating me in the sprint.”
-
- A team clebration.
-
- Neylan, Spratt, Tayler Wiles and Loren Rowney.
-
- American Wiles, a new recruit to Orica-AIS in 2016, came in seventh.
-
- Former Australian road champion Peta Mullens came in tenth, ending a January block of racing on the road and giving Wiggle High5 three riders in the top 10.
-
- King is all smiles as she heads to the podium. “I am really excited about the summer. I’ve come into the year with really good form.”
2