Oliver Kent-Spark claims breakaway victory at Tour of Toowoomba

Image 1 of 4

Oliver Kent-Spark (health.com.au-search2retain) won a maiden Subaru National Road Series stage victory as outsprinting his stage 4 breakaway companions at the FKG Tour of Toowoomba on a day marred by crashes and windy conditions on the afternoon's 109km stage which followed the morning's team time trial.

Kent-Spark, riding in the most aggressive jersey won the stage ahead of Morgan Smith (CharterMason) and Michael Cupitt (Budget Forklifts) which finished on Toowoomba's purpose built criterium circuit.

"It's my first win in the NRS, I still can't believe it," said Kent-Spark. "I crossed the line and thought 'is this really me', it's just unbelievable.

"When Cupitt and I attacked I thought we wouldn't stay away, it's just amazing it was such a tough day.

"We made a truce on the way into the circuit to keep working together because we could see Neil van der Ploeg (Avanti) and Pat Shaw (Satalyst Giant) chasing. We rolled together into the final corner and we were all so knackered that it was a matter of who had enough in their legs at the end," explained Kent-Spark.

Jack Haig (Avanti Racing) retained his 13 second buffer over teammate and overall NRS leader Joe Cooper while Mark O'Brien (Avanti Racing) is 22 seconds in arrears and the Bendigo native looks like sealing the win with the final stage a criterium. Cooper however fractured his pelvis during the race and won't start stage 5.

"It would be great to finish this NRS tour off on top," said Haig. "It will probably be the last NRS race I do with the team, so to win it would be great. I got second overall last year so it's nice to come back and win it.

"The guys did a massive effort out there today. It was super hard with the winds and the roads, I can't thank the guys enough," said Haig.

With the second stage of the day in and around Clifton, NSW, the peloton continuously split into multiple groups with narrow roads, crashes and dirt sections making it a difficult day in the saddle.

A breakaway was eventually formed after 52km with Cupitt and Kent-Spark the two leaders on the road. They were joined by Brodie Talbot (Budget Forklifts) and Smith 30 kilometres later.

The quartet's maximum lead was just over one minute and then with 17km left to race, Talbot returned to the bunch which was raising the tempo in order to make the catch but it would prove futile. The main bunch came in 24 seconds after Kent-Spark.

"This is my first NRS podium, it feels amazing," said New Zealand's Smith. "I'm disappointing I didn't get the win, but I had a go and came out with second which is awesome.

"Today was crazy. I was in the fourth group on the road at one point, I hit a guy in front of me but managed not to crash. As soon as it came back together I just started attacking, I didn't want to be at the back," Smith described.

Results