Corset too strong to wrap up dominant performance on the border

Ruth Corset's triumphant return to cycling continued today with the Queenslander claiming the second event of the 2012 Subaru Women's National Road Series (NRS), the Velo Battle on the Border on the Gold Coast.

Corset (Pensar-Hawk Racing) wrapped up dominant Tour performance with a win in the final stage criterium held around Salt Park in Kingscliff. Racing her first NRS event since 2009, the thirty-four-year-old claimed two stage victories and a second across the four-stage event.

"It was a great job by the team I couldn't of done it without them," Corset said of her Pensar-Hawk Racing team, which also claimed a comfortable victory in the team's classification ahead of Suzuki-Trek and Holden Cycling.

Canberra's Rebecca Wiasak's (Suzuki-Trek) impressive victory in the opening stage time trial propelled her into second overall, 1min 8secs behind Corset. Victoria's Chloe McConville (Jayco/Apollo VIS) finished just seven seconds behind Wiasak to claim third.

"I'm pretty relieved to hang on for second, it's really nice to get a result (this early) in the season in a tour," Wiasak said.

On a glorious Gold Coast morning, the 70-strong field of women set out on the picturesque course, with NRS Tour leader Lisa Jacobs (Jayco/Apollo) controlling much of the pace in opening laps.

The leading women set a blistering pace over the first few laps and with the bunch splintering as riders jostled for positions on the tight 1.1kilometre course, McConville looked to make the first move.

However with Corset eager to preserve her lead in the Tour and holding close to McConville's wheel, the pair was only able to establish a small lead before the peloton reeled them at the mid point of the race.

2011 junior track world champion Georgia Baker (Pure Tasmania Cycling Team) lead an immediate counter attack, but this too was quickly shut down by the chasing bunch lead by Jacobs, McConville and Corset.

With the early pace of the race taking a toll on the field, the race came down to a bunch sprint with Corset just edging Sydney's Sue Forsyth and Kim Wells (Specialized Women SA) in a tight sprint to the line.

"Today it was my job just to keep the pace high, I didn't want anyone to get away and take the GC away from me," said Corset, who was awarded the Tour's Queen of the Mountain classification.

"I just made sure I stayed near the front and kept the pace high with three laps to go, and hoped my teammate Sam would take it out at the end.

"When I didn't see anyone around at that last corner I just gave it everything to the line," Corset added.

Whilst initially only a ‘guest rider' for Pensar-Hawk in the Battle on the Border, Corset admitted she may need to rethink her participation in the remaining events of the NRS series.

"My next goal is the Cairns half-ironman in June so I'm looking forward to that, (but) we will just see what happens," Townsville's Corset said, lauding praise on the improvement in the calibre of the series and riders.

"It's very well organised and it's great to see that many girls racing in the NRS series. I think it's just going to go up from here," she added.

Similarly, newcomer Wells was impressed with the quality of racing during the Battle on the Border and echoed Corset's sentiments, noting the tremendous support and atmosphere generated during the event.

"(The pace) was pretty high right from the start, everyone was pretty eager right from the start line," Wells explained. "It was just single file especially in the first 10 minutes we were constantly above 40km an hour.

"This is my first tour I've been able to race and it was great as it is really well organised.

"I'm enjoying all the support here, there are so many people out and about so it's really positive," said Wells.

In the 2012 Subaru Women's NRS rankings, Jacobs retained her lead after finishing fourth overall in the Tour.

Winner of the Series' opening event, April's Mersey Valley Tour, Jacobs now sits on 286 points, just ahead of Corset (250 points) who rocketed into second place following her Tour victory.

Queensland's Emily Roper (207 points) sits in third, with Holden Cycling's Miranda Griffiths (155 points) and Wiasak (137 points) rounding out the top five.

Suzuki-Trek (205 points) narrowly extended its lead in the overall teams rankings, with Pensar-Hawk Racing (109 points) moving from fourth into second overall. Holden Women's Cycling (175 points) sits third.

The 2012 Subaru National Road Series features five events for women for registered teams and individuals.

The next event on the 2012 Subaru Women's National Road Series calendar is the Santos North West Tour, to be held in Northern NSW, June 21-24.

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