Taylor finishes alone to claim Classic de Femme

South Australia's Carlee Taylor has broken through for her maiden victory of the 2011 season, taking out the Celtic Country Classic de Femme from Glen Innes to Inverell.

Taylor, 22, took the win by ten seconds over last week's Honda Hybrid Women’s Tour champion Lauren Rowney (Bundaberg Sugar) and 2009 Classic winner Lauren Kitchen of New South Wales.

Earlier in 2011, Taylor claimed the women's under 23 classification at the Open Road National Championships in Ballarat. She is a former winner of the Canberra Tour and was awarded the Amy Gillett Scholarship in 2008.

The Classic was the penultime event of the 2011 National Road Series for women.

Rowney (647pts) has now moved to within 79 points of leader, Tasmania's Grace Sulzberger (726pts) on the 2011 NRS women's rankings. Rebecca Wiasak (Suzuki) is third on 503 points.

However with Rowney absent from this weekend's final event of the series, the Shipwreck Coast Classic on Sunday October 30, Sulzberger will claim the series crown regardless of the results on Sunday.