Cyrus Monk solos to U23 Australian road race title

Cyrus Monk (Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team) has added his name to the list of Australian U23 road race champions with solo victory in Buninyong. Monk rode across the two-man breakaway of Reece Tucknott and Mcgregor Carter on the penultimate lap, dropping both and taking out the green and gold jersey.

Taking his time in the long finishing straight, Monk duly celebrated the biggest win of his young career. Behind, James Whelan (InForm Tineli), led-out early and narrowly held off Michael Potter (Australian Cycling Academy) for the silver medal 26 seconds later. Potter's teammate Dylan Sunderland was the third rider in the first group to claim fourth. Tucknott capped off a successful day with fifth place.

"It is pretty hard to believe at the moment. You try and picture that every training ride for the past four months so it is pretty hard to believe it has actually happened," Monk said after his win.

The race was shortened due to extreme heat on Victoria's hottest day in two years and Monk explained that initially he was "furious" with the decision and urged his team to complain to the national body. "Even this morning I was asking if they could change it. I really wanted the long distance to wear the riders down," he said.

Praising teammates Liam Magennis and Paddy Burt for making the race hard, Monk added that using both his head and legs was crucial in securing the win.

Chasing from behind, Whelan explained the group believed they could catch Monk before the line. However, games of "cat and mouse" in the final 5km scuttled their chances. Lacking a sprint the former middle-distance runner took a late flier and just held off Potter for silver.

"It was a race for second coming in with two or three kilometres to go and then I went with about a key and half to go because I am not a sprinter and that is my best card to play," said Whelan, adding "this is the biggest result I have ever had."

While bronze is often a maligned medal, Potter was "elated" with the result and was quick to praise Monk for the win and his team for the opportunity. Defending champion Samuel Jenner (Mitchelton-BikeExchange) rolled over in a group 39 seconds down on Monk in 12th place.

How it unfolded

Due to the dry conditions and temperatures predicted to be into the high 30s, the road race had been cut in length and moved into the earlier time slot of 9am. A change in the course for 2018, lengthening the lap to 11.6km was further departure from the norm. An aggressive opening on the early laps led to a trio of Ashley Mackay (Australian Cycling Academy, Reece Tucknott and Mcgregor Carter forming the breakaway.

The three riders’ lead hovered around the 90-second mark while aggressive racing in the peloton saw a number of riders drop of the contention. The 11 abandons after just three laps were an indication of how hard and hot the race was. For Alex Porter, a bee sting rather than the pace of the race ended his day early.

As the race entered its denouement, the trio had become two with Tucknott and Carter pressing on alone 49 seconds to the good. Coming around for the third last lap, the lead was down to 30 seconds with Cyrus Monk chasing hard in the attempt to bridge the gap. On the climb, Michael Potter (Australian Cycling Academy) led the first round of attacks but it would be Monk who succeeded in getting clear.

Catching and then dropping Tucknott, Monk steadily built his advantage and ensured behind it was a fight for silver with his green and gold jersey waiting for him on the line finish line.

 

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Cyrus Monk (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team2:24:48
2James Whelan (Aus) InForm Tineli0:00:26
3Michael Potter (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 2 - Cell 2
4Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 3 - Cell 2
5Reece Tucknott (Aus)0:00:31
6Mathew Ross (Aus)0:00:39
7Jason Lea (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 6 - Cell 2
8Angus Lyons (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 7 - Cell 2
9Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchangeRow 8 - Cell 2
10Drew Morey (Aus) Terengganu Cycling TeamRow 9 - Cell 2
11Sebastian Berwick (Aus)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Samuel Jenner (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchangeRow 11 - Cell 2
13Alexander Evans (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 12 - Cell 2
14Harrison Sweeny (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange0:03:00
15Peter Livingstone (Aus) mobius BridgeLane0:03:18
16Nicholas White (Aus) Oliver's Real Food Racing0:03:31
17Jarrad Drizners (Aus) SASIRow 16 - Cell 2
18Jonathan Noble (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 17 - Cell 2
19Calan White (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Connor Reardon (Aus)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Ethan Berends (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 20 - Cell 2
22Jordan Schmidt (Aus)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Macgregor Carter (Aus)0:05:52
24Sebastian Presley (Aus)0:06:41
25Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-BikeExchange0:08:39
26Thomas Green (Aus) GPM0:12:07
27Angus Calder (Aus) Nero KOM Racing0:12:26
28Cameron Scott (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 27 - Cell 2
29Shaun Falzarano (Aus)0:12:36
30Dylan McKenna (Aus) AMR Renault Racing TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Jordan Villani (Aus)0:13:26
32Thomas Allford (Aus) Van D'am Racing0:13:45
33Benjamin Andrews (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 32 - Cell 2
34Harrison Bailey (Aus) GPMRow 33 - Cell 2
35Patrick Burt (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development TeamRow 34 - Cell 2
36Callum Dolby (Aus)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Ethan Egglestone (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 36 - Cell 2
38Lachlan Holliday (Aus) PMRRow 37 - Cell 2
39Aidan Kampers (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 38 - Cell 2
40Alex Lack (Aus)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Daniel Luke (Aus)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Liam Magennis (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development TeamRow 41 - Cell 2
43Richard Maher (Aus)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Thomas McDonald (Aus)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Henry Pennell (Aus)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Sam Welsford (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 45 - Cell 2
47Craig Wiggins (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 46 - Cell 2
48Rohan Wight (Aus) TirolRow 47 - Cell 2
49Riley Terrens (Aus)0:15:15
50Hamish Webber (Aus)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Jake Brooker (Aus)0:15:17
52Alastair Christie-Johnston (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 51 - Cell 2
53Matthew Gassner (Aus)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Campbell Jones (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 53 - Cell 2
55Patrick Kennedy (Aus)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Tom McCracken (Aus)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Bradley Soden (Aus)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Alexander Holden (Aus)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Jordan Louis (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team0:16:44
60Iven Bennett (Aus) Van D'am Racing0:18:18
61Brandon Conway (Aus)Row 60 - Cell 2
62Curtis Dowdell (Aus)Row 61 - Cell 2
63Thomas Jones (Aus)Row 62 - Cell 2
64Bryce Lanigan (Aus) Satalyst Verve RacingRow 63 - Cell 2
65Liam Lawlor (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 64 - Cell 2
66Tim Lennon (Aus)Row 65 - Cell 2
67Jonathan Lewis (Aus) VMRRow 66 - Cell 2
68Liam Nolan (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 67 - Cell 2
69Callum Pearce (Aus)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Leigh Phillips (Aus) Nero KOM RacingRow 69 - Cell 2
71Timothy Sellar (Aus)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Daniel Simpson (Aus)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFScott Reynolds (Aus)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFChris Powell (Aus)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFBraden O'Shea (Aus) SASIRow 74 - Cell 2
DNFCooper Sayers (Aus) SASIRow 75 - Cell 2
DNFAndrew Gynes (Aus)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFHarrison Scott (Aus)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFJoshua Beikoff (Aus)Row 78 - Cell 2
DNFOliver Parsons (Aus)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFBailey Walters (Aus)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Villiers (Aus)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFJulian Thomson (Aus)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFLeighton Taylor (Aus)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFKeegan Sutton-Baker (Aus)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFZak Sunderland (Aus)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Siwek (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 86 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Simpson (Aus) AMR Renault Racing TeamRow 87 - Cell 2
DNFFrahn Sequoia (Aus)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFLachlan Scott (Aus)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFMark Sampson (Aus)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFDavid Randall (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFAlex Porter (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFLiam Pino (Aus)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFJack Patzel (Aus)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFKallum Parlevliet (Aus) InForm TineliRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFRobert Parker (Aus)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFJames Pane (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development TeamRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFToby Orchard (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFKelland O'Brien (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFBentley Niquet-Olden (Aus)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Newman (Aus) MTRRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFSamuel Munday (Aus) Team Novo NordiskRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFIndiana Michel (Aus)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFHarrison Mclean (Aus)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFThomas McFarlane (Aus)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFJohn Maguire (Aus)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFJade Maddern (Aus)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFAshley Mackay (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFKian Lerch-Mackinnon (Aus)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFSamuel Lane (Aus)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Kirwan (Aus) MTRRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFKaydon Jeffreys (Aus)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFSam Horan (Aus)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Hooper (Aus)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Hodge (Aus) Balmoral Cycling ClubRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFAlastair Hirsch (Aus)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFMackenzie Hastings (Aus)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFOliver Hartung (Aus)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFLachlan Harrigan (Aus)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFRoss Gordon (Aus) InForm TineliRow 120 - Cell 2
DNFRiley Fleming (Aus) GPMRow 121 - Cell 2
DNFJacob Emmerton (Aus)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFLiam Edwards (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 123 - Cell 2
DNFFlynn Eady-Jennings (Aus)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFAmarni Drake (Aus) Australian Cycling AcademyRow 125 - Cell 2
DNFTony Doherty (Aus)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFMatthew De Vroet (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Darling (Aus) AMR Renault Racing TeamRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFLachlan Darch (Aus) Van D'am RacingRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFNicholas Costello (Aus)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFJoshua Corcoran (Aus) GPMRow 131 - Cell 2
DNFXavier Cooper (Aus)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFFintan Conway (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 133 - Cell 2
DNFHarry Cleary (Aus)Row 134 - Cell 2
DNFAlex Clairs (Aus)Row 135 - Cell 2
DNFTom Chester (Aus)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Burrell (Aus)Row 137 - Cell 2
DNFPatrick Brett (Aus)Row 138 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Bolton (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 139 - Cell 2
DNFAdam Blazevic (Aus)Row 140 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Aver (Aus)Row 141 - Cell 2
DNFJasper Albrecht (Aus) AMR Renault Racing TeamRow 142 - Cell 2
DNSTom Gough (Aus)Row 143 - Cell 2
DNSMyles Stewart (Aus)Row 144 - Cell 2
DNSOliver Smith (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 145 - Cell 2
DNSWilliam Hodges (Aus) GPMRow 146 - Cell 2
DNSTearloch Carr (Aus)Row 147 - Cell 2

 

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