Goss & Gilmore grab Eastern Park openers

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Australia's Matt Goss showed he is already on form for the 2011 season by taking an impressive win in the opening race of the Jayco Bay Cycling Series in Geelong’s Eastern Gardens. The 24 year old was riding in the colours of E3/Pure Tas for the race but will be one of HTC-Highroad sprinters during 2011. He was too fast for defending champion Chris Sutton (Sky Racing) and Allan Davis (Astana).

“We have a really strong team here and Wes and Bernie Sulzberger covered every move well,” Goss said. “This is one of the hardest circuits. The wind here coming off the ocean makes it difficult on the home and back straight which makes the course hard."

Team Sky animated the race early with Britain's Ben Swift attacking on the opening lap of the 45 minute +3 lap criterium. When he was brought back, Graeme Brown (Urban) showed his intentions claiming the first two intermediate sprints from Sky’s Matt Hayman. Wes Sulzberger (Pure Tas) and Scott Law (Fly V Australia) were just some of the next riders to go on the attack. Then Greg Henderson (Sky) launched a solo attack. He spent three laps out on his own forging a maximum advantage of fifteen seconds over the peloton. His teammates, Simon Gerrans and Matt Hayman tried to slow the peloton down as Henderson flexed his muscles at the front of the race.

Henderson took the second intermediate sprint with Brown sprinting from the peloton to take the important second place and ensure he earned the sprinters jersey.

Richie Porte (Lowe Farms) showed he is going to be a force to be reckoned with at the Nationals next week by doing a lot of work in the peloton, bringing the moves back for his leader Baden Cooke.

With three laps to go the peloton were altogether with Porte and Wes Sulzberger hammering an incredible pace in the peloton to put Cooke in a good position. Despite the speed, Johnnie Walker (Urban) launched a solo attack with the aim of tiring out the sprinters teams to give his teammate Brown a great opportunity to win the bunch sprint.

Walker was caught by the peloton on the final lap and the race was that fierce that coupled with the wind, caused a split in the back straight. A group of approximately 30 riders were at the head of the race powering into the final five hundred metres.

All the major sprinters were in good positions heading into the final corner but it was Goss who was positioned best on third wheel. He then surged past his two rivals to take his first win of 2011. But surely not his last.

“We came in to get a stage win and we’ve knocked that over pretty early so that’s a good start,” Goss said, pleased to start the season on a high.

Goss’s win shows that he is one of the form sprinters in Australia and is looking forward to getting more leadership roles at HTC-Columbia in 2011.

“I’m going to get a lot more opportunities this year. I had to help Andre Greipel and Mark Cavendish last year and back at Saxo Bank I had to help JJ Haedo. I was given a few chances last year and grabbed a few victories and will look forward to some more support this year,” Goss concluded.

Sutton and Davis satisfied with placings

Chris Sutton’s second place highlighted his form as he tries to defend his Jayco Series title. With Team Sky having such a strong line-up, his placing today ensures he’s in a good position to pounce over the coming days.

“The team is more settled now,” Sutton said. “Our November camp was nice and relaxed and after our first year, the second year will start to look up. The boys did everything they could today and I just got beaten by a better rider. It’s anyone’s bike race with guys like Brown, McEwen, Renshaw, Goss and even Palmer who showed his form in the Sydney criteriums last month."

Allan Davis started 2011 the way he finished 2010 and is refreshed after two months off the bike.

“I’m happy with how things panned out last year. The late wins kept me motivated in November and December. I did a lot of training in the gym as well as boxing and participating in other sports to keep my mind refreshed,” he explained.

Davis had to come to Melbourne early after the flood crisis in Queensland threatening to delay his travel plans.
“It’s a rough time for the locals up there. I came here a week early and would like to thank John Trevorrow for helping me. I also would like to thank Leigh Howard’s dad as I have been motor pacing with him the last week.”

Gilmore on track to defend her title

Rochelle Gilmore showed she is again the woman to beat powering to victory in the opening round of the women's Jayco Bay Series classic in Geelong.

The defending champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, riding for the Honda Dream Team edged out Belinda Goss (Vetta) and Nicole Whitburn.

"It's fantastic to win the first race of 2011. Last year worked out pretty well with the Commonwealth Games and everything. Every year you think you can learn more and it can be better, so to come out and win the first race of 2011 is a fantastic feeling,” Gilmore said.

The race was delayed by 45 minutes because of a crash in the warm-up with Queensland road champion Brittany Lindores taken to hospital. That reduced the race from 45 minutes to 30 and when racing got underway it didn’t take long for the attacks to start. Peta Mullens (Honda Dream Team) was the first to show her intentions and soon after Amanda Spratt (Jayco AIS) tried to go alone. Rebecca Domange (Bike Force) attempted to bridge across but was unsuccessful.

The peloton didn’t let the break get free and soon after, another half dozen riders attacked, including Megan Dunn (Honda Cycling Team), Lauren Kitchen and Jess Allan (Jayco AIS).

They were eventually pegged back by the peloton and despite a few more riders trying to attack, the peloton nullified the moves, setting up a bunch sprint involving approximately 20 riders. Gilmore showed she was the strongest with a perfect sprint but despite being defending champion, Gilmore rejected suggestions that she and her team will dominate the series.
“We certainly don’t have the attitude that we dominated today or that we’re going to dominate, because there were so many good. That makes it hard to control the race as we don’t know who to chase and who not to chase. There is a lot of new talent coming through in Australia. We come back here to race and we no longer know our competitors.”

Gilmore thanked her team, particularly 19 year-old Megan Dunn who had her wrist in plaster after breaking it five weeks ago.

“This kid is one of the toughest we will ever see come through Australian cycling. She trained through her accident in last five weeks. The doctor said she isn’t ready to race and the cast isn’t coming off but Megan was determined to race.”
“She is here and part of the Honda Dream Team. It was a proud for me to announce we had Megan added to the team because we are already one of the strongest teams in Australia and boosted the confidence of the team heading into the race,” she concluded.

The Jayco Criterium Series continues tomorrow with a tough circuit in Portarlington, 20km east of Geelong.

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