Kerrison wins Narrabri criterium in hard-fought contest

Queensland Under 23 criterium champion Jesse Kerrison (Budget Forklifts) has won the second stage of the Santos North Western Tour in Narrabri.

Kerrison took a clear victory in the 30-lap criterium ahead of Brenton Jones (Huon – Genesys) and Russell Gill (Euride Racing) in a fast and furious sprint to the finish which resulted in splits to the back of the field.

Race leader after the morning stage, Jack Haig (Huon - Genesys) maintains the yellow jersey heading into Stage 3 on Thursday having finished safely in the main bunch. Jayden Copp (Pro Team Downunder) remains in second overall with Haig's teammate Ben Dyball third, the pair 10 seconds in arrears.

The men's race got away to a shaky start with the criterium neutralised after just five laps due to a crash which blocked the road forcing the race to be neutralised. It brought down Kane Walker (Huon – Genesys) who required medical attention with Joseph Gichora (Kenya), Dan Procter (Parramatta Race Team), Joel Walsh, Alex Ball (Illawarra Cycle Club), Michael Sherwood (Composite Team 1), Matthew Wallman (DHBC Racing), David Bleakley (Subaru/Albion Cycles NRS Development Team) and Aaron Piper (Data#3 Cisco Racing Team) also held up.

Back underway again with 24 laps to go, there was a slight hesitation in the field on an undoubtedly fast circuit.

Budget Forklifts' Jesse Kerrison took out the first of two sprints after a solid lead out from his teammates in black and yellow, with Josh Taylor (GPM Data#3), Jack Anderson (Budget Forklifts) and Jack Haig (Huon – Genesys) picking up the minor points.

The peloton was all together at the half-way mark, but the racing was not without the occasional surge with the team from GPM Data#3 and search2retain-health stamping their authority on the front. With the second intermediate sprint ahead, Budget again began getting organised but Taylor was first across the line among fierce competition.

With the points out of the way until the finish, the peloton took that as a cue to go for broke and with six laps to go Darcy Ellerm-Norton (Pro Team Downunder), Julian Hamill (GPM Data#3), Marc Williams (Budget Forklifts) and Jai Crawford (Huon – Genesys) established a small gap on the field. The attack was brief, the peloton back together a lap later but there was only brief respite, with riders continuing to attack including Cam Bayly (search2retain-health) and Taylor trying their luck.

Any surges were short-lived with the field back together with a bunch sprint on the cards. The team from Downer EDI first to line up, followed by search2retain for their man Neil Van Der Ploeg. Budget was next to spearhead the charge to the line, judging their effort to perfection.

Garfoot wins criterium to give Pensar SPM a clean sweep on day one

Katrin Garfoot (Pensar SPM) has taken out the women's criterium of Stage 2 of the Santos North Western Tour, ahead of teammate Ruth Corset and Sarah Roy (BikeBug).

The win closed out a successful opening day for the Queensland-based Pensar SPM outfit after Corset won the opening stage time trial on Wednesday morning.

Garfoot won the bunch sprint finish after Roy's teammate Ellen Skerritt attempted a last-ditch attack on the bell lap, earning an ever-so-slight six second advantage on the tight 1.1km circuit around the town of Narrabi.

The peloton had seemed content to wait out the 20 laps and with six laps of racing complete, the bunch was together. The ceasefire was brought to an end with the experienced Trudy Van Der Straaten (Specialized Securitor), known for her aggressive style of racing criteriums, escaping off the front of the bunch for a 10 second advantage.

Van Der Straaten's gap allowed her to take maximum points on the intermediate sprint, with Sarah Roy (BikeBug), Katrin Garfoot (Pensar SPM) and Miranda Griffiths (Holden Women) picking up the remainder before the field came back together.

With six laps to race, Lisa Keeling (Bicycle Superstore) had an 11 second break of the bunch and as the levels of urgency increased, Kendelle Hodges (Composite Team 1) started to close the gap a lap later. That move saw the field compact once again and with two laps left to race, the peloton was riding as one.

Corset remains at the head of the general classification heading into Thursday's third stage, with Garfoot second on equal time. Bicycle Superstore's Felicity Wardlaw is third overall, 11 seconds in arrears.

Men - Full results

Women - Full results