Image courtesy Jarrod Partridge
On a historical day in Australian cycling, the debut of the nation’s first WorldTour team GreenEDGE brought fans from far and wide to Geelong’s Eastern Beach for the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic this evening.
But it wasn’t to be the perfect start many came to see, as New Zealand’s Greg Henderson (Degani Bakery Cafe) and Canberra’s Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) were too strong for the debutants on the hotdog circuit.
Perfectly set up by teammates Zak Dempster and Dean Windsor, Henderson had the legs to take the first honours of 2012 ahead of 2010 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic winner Chris Sutton (Urban Hotels) and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Allan Davis.
Deep into his training to lead out new Lotto Belisol teammate Andre Greipel, Henderson was buoyed by the win against the GreenEDGE juggernaut.
“It was a historical day for Australian cycling with the debut of GreenEDGE and it was an honour to be a part of it,” Henderson said.
“It seemed like they were pretty happy with anyone who was up the break. I think they were pretty desperate to win today but when you’ve got so many riders in a group like that, it sort of almost works against you.
“All my training has been sprint training so if they (my teammates) could keep me out of trouble for the four of five laps which they did amazingly, I’d have a go in the sprint.
“Last year was a lot easier but I was beaten. This year was so hard and I won, so you work it out.”
After an aggressive race, it was just 15 riders who finished the elite men’s event after the peloton was deemed to have been lapped just before the 48 minute mark.
Amongst those eliminated were reigning champion Matthew Goss and six-time winner Robbie McEwen.
A group of five riders including brothers Bernie (Urban Hotels) and Wesley Sulzberger (GreenEDGE Cycling), 2011 Herald Sun Tour winner Nathan Haas (Bike Bug), Baden Cooke (Mitchelton Wines-Lowe Farms) and Windsor formed the main breakaway which at its best had a 14 second lead.
An initial chase by Dempster, Davis and James Mowatt (Rapido Cycles/Four Points Geelong) grew in numbers as the lead diminished. In the end it joined together with ten laps to go, forming the final 15 rider race to the line.
Up and coming star Patrick Lane (Mitchelton Wines-Lowe Farms) put in a final inspirational effort breaking from the pack with seven laps to go. The 20-year-old courageously held on until the final lap.
In the women’s event, a halt in racing after a crash with five laps to go threw a spanner into the works for a lead group of seven riders.
Riders were assembled at the start line as Pitcher Partners rider Trudy Van Der Straaten was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
Despite a break of eight seconds prior to the race being neutralised, it resumed as a single peloton.
GreenEDGE-AIS jumped instantly with South Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell losing teammate Amanda Spratt and Total Rush / Hyster’s Loren Rowney not long after they broke away from the main group.
But it was a winning move with less than three laps to race by Chloe Hosking that bridged the gap and she went on for a comfortable win.
GreenEDGE-AIS’s Melissa Hoskins finished ahead of reigning champion Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team) for the minor placings.
Hosking was pleased to come out on top in what was women’s cycling at its best.
“For me it’s really exciting to get up there and show women’s racing at its best and today I think we did that.
“Hats off to GreenEDGE, they rode really well today and made the race. I just made the right move at the right time.
“I’m definitely in the best form I’ve been at this time of the year ever. I’ve been working really hard in the off season and I’m glad to see it paying off.”
In other results Alex Morgan (Jayco – VIS) was impressive in the John Cornish Memorial Teams Support Race supported by Urban Hotels.
The junior team pursuit world champion went it alone to win ahead of Total Rush’s Dean Heathcote and Ray Forbes.
Dane Crawford (Hunter District CC) took out the Individual Men’s Support Race presented by Total Rush earlier in the day with Shannon Johnson (Preston Cycling Club Inc) and Darcy Woolley (Port Fairy Cycling Club Inc) claiming the minor placings.
The action continues with a 2km short course at Geelong Eastern Park tomorrow. The seventh consecutive Amy’s Ride kick starts proceedings at 8:30am
Race Results
Jayco Bay Cycling Classic (2012) - Stage 1
Men’s Stage 1 Results
1 Greg Henderson (NZ) Degani Bakery Cafe 0:59:58
2 Chris Sutton (NSW) Urban Hotels
3 Allan Davis (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms
4 Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels
5 Steele Von Hoff (Tas) Bike Bug
6 Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug
7 Dean Windsor (NSW) Degani Bakery Cafe
8 Leigh Howard (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling
9 Caleb Ewan (NSW) NSWIS
10 Zak Dempster (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe 0:00:09
11 Patrick Lane (Vic) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms 0:00:17
12 James Mowatt (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong 0:00:34
13 Wesley Sulzberger (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling 0:00:40
14 Baden Cooke (Vic) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms 0:00:41
15 Nathan Haas (ACT) Bike Bug 0:00:45
DNF Matthew Goss (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling
DNF Robbie McEwen (QLD) GreenEdge Cycling
DNF Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling
DNF Luke Durbridge (WA) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms
DNF Michael Hepburn (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms
DNF Koen de Kort (Ned) Urban Hotels
DNF Bert de Backer (Bel) Urban Hotels
DNF Richard Lang (NSW) Urban Hotels
DNF Heinrich Haussler (NSW) Bike Bug
DNF Alex Carver (NSW) Bike Bug
DNF Mark Jamieson (Tas) Degani Bakery Cafe
DNF Joel Pearson (NSW) Genesys Wealth Advisers
DNF Nic Sanderson (Vic) Genesys Wealth Advisers
DNF Campbell Flakemore (Tas) Genesys Wealth Advisers
DNF Kane Walker (Vic) Genesys Wealth Advisers
DNF Peter Loft (Tas) Budget Forklifts
DNF Mark O’Brien (Vic) Budget Forklifts
DNF Luke Ockerby (Tas) Budget Forklifts
DNF Blair Windsor (NSW) Budget Forklifts
DNF Sam Witmitz (Vic) Budget Forklifts
DNF Michael Knoff (Vic) John West Cycling
DNF Rene Kolbach (NSW) John West Cycling
DNF Oliver Kent-Spark (Vic) John West Cycling
DNF Nicholas Brian (NSW) John West Cycling
DNF Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling
DNF Nathan Bradshaw (NSW) NSWIS
DNF Luke Williams (NSW) NSWIS
DNF Tirian McManus (NSW) NSWIS
DNF Jack McCulloch (NSW) NSWIS
DNF Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Geelong Mazda
DNF Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Geelong Mazda
DNF Kazushige Kuboki (Jpn) Geelong Mazda
DNF Takuya Takashi (Jpn) Geelong Mazda
DNF Eya Hashimoto (Jpn) Geelong Mazda
DNF Jos van Emden (Ned) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong
DNF Tom Leezer (Ned) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong
DNF Scott Liston (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong
DNF Neil van der Ploeg (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong
Men’s General Classification
1 Greg Henderson (NZ) Degani Bakery Cafe 12 points
2 Chris Sutton (NSW) Urban Hotels 10
3 Allan Davis (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms 8
4 Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels 7
5 Steele Von Hoff (Tas) Bike Bug 6
6 Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug 5
7 Dean Windsor (NSW) Degani Bakery Cafe 4
8 Leigh Howard (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling 3
9 Caleb Ewan (NSW) NSWIS 2
10 Zak Dempster (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe 1
Women’s Stage 1 Results
1 Chloe HOSKING Total Rush/Hyster
2 Melissa HOSKINS GreenEdge-AIS
3 Rochelle GILMORE BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team
4 Tiffany CROMWELL GreenEdge-AIS
5 Jessie MACLEAN GreenEdge-AIS
6 Kirsty BROUN BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team
7 Peta MULLENS BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team
8 Rebecca HENDERSON Suzuki-Trek Women
9 Lucy COLDWELL Carnegie Caulfield CC
10 Annette EDMONDSON Pitcher Partners
Women’s General Classification
1 Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) 12 points
2 Melissa Hoskins (Greenedge-AIS) 10
3 Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team) 8
4 Tiffany Cromwell (Greenedge-AIS) 7
5 Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) 6
6 Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) 5
7 Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) 4
8 Rebecca Henderson (Suzuki-Trek Women) 3
9 Lucy Coldwell (Carnigie Caulfield CC) 2
10 Annette Edmondson (Pitcher Partners) 1
