Bobridge brilliant in Buninyong

South Australian Jack Bobridge put in an amazing performance to win the elite national road race in Buninyong on Sunday. The 21-year-old Garmin-Cervelo rider showed his class by soloing for 30km to take the coveted green and gold jersey, 37 seconds ahead of Matt Goss (HTC-Columbia) and Simon Gerrans (Team Sky).

"I'm over the moon, this is a fantastic feeling," an ecstatic Bobridge said after the race. His win today meant that Garmin-Cervelo keep the national jersey in the squad for another twelve months following Travis Meyer's victory last year and Bobridge added, "It's good to keep it in the team and take it to Europe again."

When racing got underway, the peloton made the course hard early with a blistering speed. Approximately twenty riders found the going tough from the outset and were dropped from the peloton, ensuring that they were in for a long day on the 163.2km course.

After the first lap of the 10.2km circuit, the peloton was still together but a break of six managed to get clear and built an advantage of up to half a minute. Pat Shaw (Genesys Wealth Advisers), Jai Crawford (Pegasus), Chris Jongewaard (Sasi), Rhys Pollock (Drapac), Chris Jory and Fabio Calabria were the men to escape from the peloton. When the move went, Jack Bobridge bridged across making it a strong seven man lead group.

Over the next few laps, their advantage grew to over two minutes and they gained a maximum advantage of nearly four minutes halfway through the race. Riders tried to bridge across to the break but were unsuccessful and with six laps to go, the leading group of seven were down to three with Bobridge, Crawford and Jongewaard all at the front of the race.

Their lead was approximately 45 seconds as their fellow companions were caught by the peloton. Heading into the final three laps, Bobridge launched a daring move, breaking away from the duo. Behind him, Jongewaard and Crawford were taken back by a reduced peloton of approximately fifteen riders. Leigh Howard and Baden Cooke were also in that group after trying to attack.

On that penultimate lap, the peloton was reduced to a select group of eight riders as Howard and Cooke dropped off with nine other riders and with two laps to go, Bobridge had a 45 second lead on a small group featuring Matt Goss, Bernard Sulzberger (Pegasus), Simon Gerrans (Sky), Lachlan Norris (Drapac) and his two team-mates, Cameron and Travis Meyer.

The Meyer brothers’ presence gave Bobridge’s chances a significant boost: they were closing down moves as Gerrans kept attacking when the lead dropped to two hundred metres on the climb.

To Bobridge's credit, he dug deep and increased his advantage back out to 40 seconds at the top of the climb and held that advantage for the rest of the race. As Bobridge entered the final straight, he started to celebrate as he realised he secured one of the biggest victories in his career.

Goss sprinted out of a small group of five riders to take second with pre-race favourite Gerrans in third.

Bobridge – just the beginning?

Bobridge won the under-23 national title in both the time trial and road race in 2009. After securing the elite road race today, he could very well do the double again on Tuesday, as one of the favourites for the time trial.

"I came here with good training under my belt over the past month," said Bobridge. “I had one of those days today where everything falls into place and you feel well. It's awesome."

"When I heard who was behind me, it definitely got me going. The crowd was awesome today on the course - they were loud on that hill. At the end of the day my move paid off and I will come back next year and give it another crack," concluded Bobridge.

Goss and Gerrans on the podium

Matt Goss' second place shows how good his form is and sets him up nicely for the 2011 season. Although he would have liked to have won the race, he was pleased with his result.

"It's a good result, it's good for the confidence. It's a hard circuit. I wouldn't have expected to get around there this time of year but I have trained really hard and I'm in good form," Goss explained.

"Unfortunately we didn't catch Jack today. He rode too strong...he was impressive. He's shown how good of a time triallist he is. He's a super strong bike rider."

Gerrans’ third place was a good result and he also commended Bobridge on his impressive ride.

"I did everything I could to try to win today's race and in the end we were outclassed," explained Gerrans. "I did everything I could to try to break the field up and get across to Jack, but out there by himself, he was just a bit too strong."

"Obviously he has huge potential, I think we'll see him even develop a lot more when he just concentrates on the road. He's one of our stars for the future," Gerrans concluded.

Sulzberger's fourth earns him the final Tour Down Under spot.

Bernard Sulzberger came into the race today with two objectives - winning and securing the last spot in the Uni-SA squad for the Tour Down Under. He didn't win, but his fourth place ensured he took that place in the team, something which is important for him and his team, Pegasus.

"I'm very happy," Sulzberger said after the race. "I'm in good form and to get a place in the squad for the Tour Down Under is fantastic and hopefully it gives us good exposure."

Simon Gerrans was pleased with his compatriot after the race.

"Bernie is in good shape and he's a fantastic rider. He deserves a spot in the Tour Down Under. We've seen him place consistently at the front for the last month or two and he deserves that spot and I hope something eventuates for him," said Gerrans.

The 2011 Mars Australian Open Road Championships conclude Tuesday with the under-23 and elite men and women time trials.

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jack Bobridge (Norwood CC)4:12:42
2Matt Goss (West Tamar CC)0:00:37
3Simon Gerrans (Mansfield Mt Buller CC)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Bernard Sulzberger (West Tamar CC)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Lachlan Norris (MTBA)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Cameron Meyer (Midland CC)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Travis Meyer (Midland CC)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Matt Wilson (Chelsea & Peninsula CC)0:01:22
9Nathan Earle (Hobart Wheelers)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Timothy Roe (Norwood CC)0:01:37
11Leigh Howard (Geelong Cycle Club)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Baden Cooke (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Steele Von Hoff (Chelsea & Peninsula CC)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Allan Davis (Bundaberg Cycle Club)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Michael Matthews (Vikings CC ACT)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Peter McDonald (Sydney CC)0:01:39
17Jai Crawford (Hobart Wheelers)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Floris Goesinnen (Netherlands)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Benjamin King (Melville Fremantle CC)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Wes Sulzberger (West Tamar CC)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Mark O'Brien (Horsham CC Inc)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Darren Lapthorne (Coburg CC)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Michael Rogers (Canberra CC)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Anthony Giacoppo (Northern Districts WA)0:03:00
25John Anderson (Balmoral Cycle Club)0:03:55
26Cal Britten (Alpine CC)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Graeme Brown (Randwick Botany CC)0:04:49
28Rowan Dever (Blackburn CC Inc)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Jason Spencer (Blackburn CC Inc)Row 28 - Cell 2
30William Clarke (Northern Districts CC)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Luke Roberts (Norwood CC)Row 30 - Cell 2
32David Pell (Bendigo & District CC)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Cameron Worth (Hobart Wheelers)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Darren Rolfe (Toowoomba CC Inc.)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Michael Cupitt (Sunshine Coast CC)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Brendan Brooks (Murwillumbah Cycle Club)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Jonathan Cantwell (Lifecycle CC)Row 36 - Cell 2
38David Tanner (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Trent Lowe (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Ryan Obst (Norwood CC)0:09:22
41Hayden Brooks (Toowoomba CC Inc.)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Cameron Jennings (Rockhampton Cycle Club)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Marc Williams (Canberra CC)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Sam Rutherford (Sydney CC)0:11:42
45Andrew Blair (Canberra CC)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Nick Bensley (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Fabio Calabria (Blackburn CC Inc)0:13:31
48Chris Jongewaard (Norwood CC)0:13:45
DNFRhys Pollock (Albury-Wodonga CC)Row 48 - Cell 2
DNFClarke Petrick (Alice Springs CC)Row 49 - Cell 2
DNFJohn Kent (Alpine CC)Row 50 - Cell 2
DNFDamien Turner (Ballarat/Sebastopol CC)Row 51 - Cell 2
DNFWill Wettenhall (Ballarat/Sebastopol CC)Row 52 - Cell 2
DNFPatrick Shaw (Ballarat/Sebastopol CC)Row 53 - Cell 2
DNFJay Bourke (Ballarat/Sebastopol CC)Row 54 - Cell 2
DNFMark Renshaw (Bathurst CC)Row 55 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Brown (BCRI)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNFJames Ibrahim (Bendigo & District CC)Row 57 - Cell 2
DNFTom Leaper (Blackburn CC Inc)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFMitchell Docker (Brunswick CC Inc)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFStuart Grimsey (Brunswick CC Inc)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFAdam Hansen (Cairns Cycle Club)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFStuart Shaw (Canberra CC)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFTony Gaudry (Canberra CC)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNFKris Johnston (Canberra CC)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFWilliam Lind (Canberra CC)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNFRyan Quade (Canberra CC)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNFShane Spicer (Canberra CC)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNFMathew Hayman (Canberra CC)Row 68 - Cell 2
DNFJulien Wicks (Canberra CC)Row 69 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Downie (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 70 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Shea (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Strauss (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Bishop (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFTommy Nankervis (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 74 - Cell 2
DNFPeter Smith (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 75 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Smyth (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFJohnnie Walker (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFNick Walker (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 78 - Cell 2
DNFChris Winn (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield CC)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFJon Houston (Central Districts CC)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFAaron Kemps (Coral Isle Cyclists)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFScott Liston (Dirt Riders)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFAdrian Jackson (Dirt Riders)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFDarcy Rosenlund (Dutton Cycles R R)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFJoel Pearson (Eurobodalla Cyclists Club Inc.)Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Chew (Ffast Cycle Club)Row 87 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Melville (Ffast Cycle Club)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFBenjamin Day (Ffast CC)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFBenjamin Johnson (Footscray CC Inc)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFJulian Bain (Footscray CC Inc)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFBrett Hickford (Footscray CC Inc)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFPaul Redenbach (Footsray CC)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFRichard Jeremiah (Geelong Cycle Club)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Margison (George Town CC)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Hosking (Gold Coast CATS CC)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFRobbie McEwen (Gold Coast CATS CC)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFGiuseppe Cirella (Gold Coast CATS CC)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFBen Swift (Great Britain)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFZakkari DempsterRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFTom Southam (Great Britain)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFJoel Strachan (Hawthorn Citizens Youth Club)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFTimothy White (Hawthorn Citizens Youth Club)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFPeter Dennis (Hawthorn Citizens Youth Club)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFSamuel Witmitz (Horsham CC Inc)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Wood (Kangaroo Point CC)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFCharles Howlett (Latrobe City CC)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFRichie Porte (Launceston CC)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Smith (Launceston City CC)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFLiam McCarthy (Lifecycle CC)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFRian Douglas (MA Cycling)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFLuis Trueba (Macarthur Collegians CC)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFAmir Rusli (Malaysia)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFCaleb Jones (Manly Warringah CC)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Crawley (Manly Warringah CC)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Versey (MTBA)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew Hodges (Murwillumbah Cycle Club)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFMark Dippelsman (Murwillumbah Cycle Club)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFKoen De Kort (Netherlands)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Mitchell (Northcote CC Inc)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFReece-Emerson Van Beek (Northcote CC Inc)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFJason Rigg (Northern Districts WA)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFStephen Tree (Northern Sydney CC)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Malone (Northern Sydney CC)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFChristopher Williams (Northern Sydney CC)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Hunter (Norwood CC)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Roe (Norwood CC)Row 127 - Cell 2
DNFBrad Davies (Norwood CC)Row 128 - Cell 2
DNFJames Hannam (Norwood CC)Row 129 - Cell 2
DNFAntony Dimitrovski (Parramatta CC)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFJake Magee (Parramatta CC)Row 131 - Cell 2
DNFCameron Peterson (Peloton Sports)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFChris Jory (Port Macquarie CC)Row 133 - Cell 2
DNFLars Pria (Romania)Row 134 - Cell 2
DNFBrett Lancaster (Shepparton CC)Row 135 - Cell 2
DNFBenjamin Cheney (South Coast CC)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFShaun Lewis (Southern Highlands CC)Row 137 - Cell 2
DNFChristopher Sutton (St George CC)Row 138 - Cell 2
DNFPeter Hatton (St George CC)Row 139 - Cell 2
DNFBen Kersten (St George CC)Row 140 - Cell 2
DNFPeter English (St Kilda CC)Row 141 - Cell 2
DNFDanny Cohen (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 142 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Donald (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 143 - Cell 2
DNFTim McGrath (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 144 - Cell 2
DNFMalachi Moxon (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 145 - Cell 2
DNFRico Rogers (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 146 - Cell 2
DNFReece Stephens (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 147 - Cell 2
DNFCarson Tully (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 148 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Clark (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 149 - Cell 2
DNFLuke James (St Kilda CC Inc)Row 150 - Cell 2
DNFTristan Jones (Sturt Holdfast Marion CC)Row 151 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Hutcheson (Sunbury & Hume Districts CC)Row 152 - Cell 2
DNFKris Koke (Sutherland Shire CC)Row 153 - Cell 2
DNFNeil Van der Ploeg (Team Mount Beauty)Row 154 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Jameson (Townsville Cycle Club)Row 155 - Cell 2
DNFMark Jameson (Uni Cycle Club)Row 156 - Cell 2
DNFAidan McKenzie (Uni Cycle Club)Row 157 - Cell 2
DNFTimothy Walker (West Tamar CC)Row 158 - Cell 2
DNSMichael Fitzgerald (Atomic Brooks Cycle Club)Row 159 - Cell 2
DNSMichael Bulters (Canberra CC)Row 160 - Cell 2
DNSJason Cattonar (Norwood CC)Row 161 - Cell 2
DNSDavid Kemp (Toowoomba CC Inc.)Row 162 - Cell 2

 

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