Jesse Kerrison sprints to U23 national criterium title

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12-months from claiming bronze at the Australia national U23 criterium on Sturt St, Ballarat, Jesse Kerrison is the 2016 champion. Kerrison's State of Matter/Maap team controlled affairs for the 33km race with all six riders on the front of the race for final laps.

Coming into the final corner, Fitter and Kerrison surged clear of the reduced peloton only for disaster to strike as he dropped a a chain with 100 metres to race. Kerrison, observing his teammate's misfortune, sprinted clear to ensure a debut national title for the Australian Continental team.

"Last year it was bittersweet," Kerrison said of his 2015 result, "but you're never happy unless you're on first. Dan today can contest to that, two teammates on the podium is great, but he was the man for today and we were leading him out. Unfortunately a mechanical ruined his day but I am ecstatic.

"Going into today we said that if we don't win and get another medal, we've done something wrong. The boy's handled it so well...when it come to the crunch we brought it back and there were a few things we could work on as always, but it was a great way to start the season."

Fitter was audibly upset as he crossed the line with the emotion flowing into the podium ceremony as he could only watch his teammate pull on the green and gold jersey. Kerrison acknowledged that as the team were committed to seeing Fitter hit the line first, he felt for his teammate who has been in rare form in recent months.

"You couldn't have two different ranges of emotion, he was in a bad way and I was ecstatic. I guess that's racing though and we were just lucky as a team to pull it off with first and third."

The first event of the 2016 Australian national championships started under grey skies with blustery wind that persisted throughout. Cyrus Monk was the first rider to attack and would feature throughout the race in numerous breakaways. State of Matter/Maap sent Fitter and Dylan Sunderland into the early break with Jason Lowndes (Drapac) also chancing his arm.

A breakaway of eight riders established itself a third of way through the 30 laps although its advantage would hover around the 12 second mark. The riders in the break was changing by the lap but as the raced approached the business end, State of Matter/Maap came to the front to boss affairs. Nicholas Katsonis did the lions share of work for the final laps with the team all over the front looking to set it up for Fitter. It looked to be plan a coming into fruition only for a slipped chain but up stepped Kerrison for the victory.

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