Lizzie Williams wins final Mersey Valley stage

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Lizzie Williams (Specialised-Securitor) marked her return to the NRS by claiming a sprint victory on the third and final stage of the Mersey Valley Tour on Sunday. The former under 19 criterium national champion, who recently returned to cycling after a ten-year hiatus, bested Alex Manly (SASI) and Tour leader Ruth Corset (Holden Cycling) on the line after a tough 75km of racing.

Ruth Corset held on to win the race overall and now tops the individual NRS standings after two races despite suffering two falls in the stage as she edged just on the line to finish third.

"I feel so relieved, its been a tough Tour for me, my preparation coming in here wasn't ideal," said Williams who  last month won the challenging Mt Baw Baw Classic in Victoria.

"I have been off the bike for a couple of weeks and have only done a couple of rides. So I was trying to hide that I wasn't feeling good during the Tour, but ten kilometres in today I knew I had good legs and that I was going to go on the climb."

The final stage of the race greeted riders with hilly, single digit temperatures who would make their way from Ulverstone to the top of Gunns Plains through scenic green plains of the Apple Island.

The pace of the peloton was quick to gather momentum with speeds of 80km/hour witnessed on the winding roads down the long descent into the Gunns Plains valley. Once on the valley floor, the field settled into a comfortable rhythm on the valley floor awaiting the climb, which is regarded by many as the toughest climbs in Tasmania, is also the site of hometown hero Richie Porte’s infamous victory at the 2008 Tour of Tasmania.

The peloton splintered up the ascent while Corset and second overall Tessa Fabry (VIS) clipped wheels, both falling as a result from which Corset quickly recovered. Williams and 16-year-old phenom Anna-Leeza Hull (Racing Kangaroos) persueud Corest she was better off riding out in front and the trio quickly broke free from the diminshing peloton.

With just over ten kilometres to go the trio were joined by Corset’s team-mate Janelle Crooks and 2013 UCI Road World Championship medallist Manly and it appeared the quintet would be unchallenged for the win with the chasing pack over one minute behind

Corset once again fell with less than 10km to race after entering a corner too fast and in the same crash, Hull hit the ground the hard and was forced to withdraw with a suspected fractured elbow.

Chasing back the leading trio appeared to drain the reserves of Corset who was unable to answer Williams as she kicked early and held it to the line to take a maiden NRS stage win.

"Just after the climb, the final five of us talked and we worked really well together. Although we were hurting and we were tired, we knew we needed to maintain the pace together," said Williams, who focused on her university studies after claiming her national title and then turned her attentions to the Victorian Women’s Football League (AFL) for a few seasons, before picking up a bike last September in order to train for an Ironman triathlon.

"Ruth, I told her, she is like a cat, she doesn't die and she got back on after falling twice," Williams said. "But I knew she would be feeling it come the end and I would be fresher.

"I backed myself in the sprint, I have a kick on me, and I managed to hold it to the line."

Corset ended the three-stage race with a 59 second lead over Fabry while Crooks was a further seven seconds back in third. Hull capped a roller coaster Tour with the Queen of the Mountain Polka Dot jersey.

"There were a few girls today who tried to get away, but my girls did a really great job of controlling the pace," said Corset. "I was very happy that Janelle managed to get back on at the end, and we made sure we worked hard to stay away.

"It feels pretty good to have claimed the series jersey too. We have a pretty strong team this year and we are all gelling and working really well.

"Given it is only the start of the year, I am looking forward to the rest of the year," said Corset.

The next race in the Women's 2014 NRS season is the Northern NSW race, the Battle on the Border which begins on May 15.

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