CYCLING

Bobridge and Spratt win Australian road race titles

By Aaron S Lee

In one of the greatest performances in Australian road race championship history, South Australian Jack Bobridge, the 2011 winner claimed a second Australian road race title in bold fashion leading the 183.6-kilometre race from start to finish at the 2016 MARS Cycling Australia Road National Championships in Buninyong, Victoria, on Sunday.

“I’m just speechless at the moment,” said Bobridge. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet really but to be honest I think 90km or 100km solo is next level I guess. In saying that this is the kind of course that when you do have that nine minute advantage those guys are still climbing and you’re descending.”



“I wanted redemption after Thursday. To be honest I trained more than I ever have before for the time trial on Thursday and it didn’t go my way. I just had one of those days when the body just didn’t want to work.

”Everyone has those days. So I was pretty annoyed with Thursday. I guess today was redemption for Thursday. At the end of the day to win the road race is better than the time trial as I get to wear the jersey more often.”



Orica-AIS rider Amanda Spratt (NSW) claimed her second Australian road title, edging 2010 champion Ruth Corset (QLD), and last year’s silver medalist and Orica teammate Rachel Neylan( NSW) in a thrilling end to the 102km elite women's road race.

Spratt, who claimed the title in 2012, showed her speed and tactics in the closing stages of the race, jumping early and distancing Total Rush's Corset in the final few hundred metres to claim a second green and gold jersey.

"The first one was probably a little bit more unexpected, this time I came in knowing that my form was really good," said Spratt of her second national title.


"Having Sarah Roy out there in that early break was great for us," she explained. "It was a great situation and it meant we could not panic, sit in there and relax and certainly had the other teams wondering what we were going to do. Once we started making those moves it really meant business.

"Getting across to Sarah was great, she was cramping, she was absolutely done but she just said, "What can I do, What do I do?" she just gave me every last bit of energy she had and I knew that it was up to me to finish it off.

On Saturday, Bendigo’s Chris Hamilton (VIC), who rides for New Zealand-registered UCI Continental team Avanti-IsoWhey Sports, was crowned the U23 national road champion over Lucas Hamilton (VIC) and Miles Scotson (SA).

Rohan Dennis (SA) topped defending champion and new BMC Racing teammate Richie Porte (TAS), as well as Avanti-IsoWhey Sports’ Sean Lake (VIC) to claim the Australian time trial title on Thursday.

Photo credit: Cycling Australia