Ewan blasts onto the big stage with Bay Classic victory
By Jane Aubrey
Rowney defeats Spratt as Total Rush - Hyster make it two from two
Allan Davis (Mitchelton Wines – Lowe Farms) stepped into the overall lead of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic with a runner-up performance in a bunch sprint, while 17-year-old Caleb Ewan (NSWIS) stole the show against his much older and experienced rivals to win stage 2 at Eastern Park.
Ewan, World Junior Omnium Champion on the track, found perfect positioning to cross the finish line ahead of Davis and Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) in a shortened race due to searing temperatures experienced throughout the day of racing with several support events being undertaken from mid-morning. The mercury hit 45 degrees centigrade as the men's field lined up for the start.
Monday's win was without doubt the biggest win of Ewan's career and followed from his second placing behind Chris Sutton (Sky) at the Cronulla event of the NSW Grand Prix Series early last month. Ewan explained that finishing so close to the Vuelta stage winner gave him the confidence to be able to post a result this week at the Bay Crits.
"I knew I could come in pretty close to those guys if I was in the right position," he said. "I used that as a guide to how I ride."
Admittedly "over the moon" with the result, Ewan explained that he tried to forget about some of the people he was racing against and approach the race as if it were "another under 19 race."
"If you think about who you're racing, guys who have won grand tour stages and that, it's pretty intimidating being 17 but whatever I did it worked okay," the Bowral high school student reasoned.
The men's peloton was split after Sulzberger took out the day's opening sprint from Mitch Docker (GreenEdge) and brother Wes (GreenEdge) as a group of 13 riders containing Michael Hepburn, Davis (Mitchelton Wines – Lowe Farms), Docker, Sulzberger (GreenEdge), Trent Derencourt (John West Cycling), Dean Windsor, Johnnie Walker, Zak Dempster (Degani Bakery Cafe), Nathan Haas (BikeBug), James Mowatt (Rapido Cycling – Four Points Geelong), Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels), Campbell Flakemore (Genesys Wealth Advisors) and Ewan (NSWIS) went off the front of the main bunch. The group's gap got out to half a lap, or 53 seconds and their lead was never seriously challenged.
Davis pulled on the overall leader's jersey with today's second placing with a three-point buffer on 18 points back to Sulzberger (Urban Hotels). Ewan (NSWIS) is third overall on 14 points with stage 1 winner Greg Henderson (Degani) fourth overall (12 points).
The Bundaberg native improved on his third placing on Sunday today and was hoping that a stage win was not too far away.
"It's another day of being so close, not just for myself but for GreenEdge," Davis explained. "We're trying to get that first one on the board which is always the hardest but hopefully tomorrow or the next day we can pull it off."
Asked what was more important, a stage win or overall at the end of the week, Davis was split.
"A stage win is what you always want to start off with and if you get yellow along the way it's a bonus as well," he said with his Mitchelton Wines – Lowe Farms outfit essentially a second GreenEdge team. "The points are so close so you need to be really consistent to win the overall."
Davis believes that Urban Hotels' Bernie Sulzberger will be the biggest threat in the field and planned to keep an eye on the Tasmanian.
Rowney too quick for Spratt as Hosking retains women's overall
In the women's race, Loren Rowney made it two from two for Total Rush – Hyster, outsprinting Amanda Spratt (GreenEdge) to claim stage 2 of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic.
The pair escaped with five laps remaining in the race, which had been reduced by five minutes due to delays caused from the searing conditions on the edge of Port Phillip Bay. Just prior, it had been Spratt's teammate, Jessie Maclean who again produced an attacking performance with a four-lap solo escape.
Rowney, overall winner in October's Honda Hybrid Women's Tour and Specialized-lululemon recruit said that being from Queensland, she used the heat to her advantage.
"For the first 20 minutes, Chloe said to relax, it's hot, make sure you conserve and then just attack, attack," the 23-year-old explained. "But I was a bit active at the start and after going off the front a little bit, I came back to the bunch and Jessie went.
"I didn't panic, I knew I could catch my breath and bridge across (to the front group) and that's what I did."
Rowney was too good for her opposition, outsprinting Spratt in the finishing straight.
"I did the turn all the way down the back, but obviously there's a slight cross tailwind," she explained of the tactics being played out over the final lap of the 1.8 kilometre circuit.
"So I was just tempoing it down the back, I actually led it out over the top of the hill and she went, I knew she went too early. I knew I've got a better kick, so I went with about 300m to go."
Today's win gets the four race series off to a highly successful start after teammate Chloe Hosking won Stage 1 on Sunday. Hosking finished fourth behind Melissa Hoskins (GreenEdge) to retain her overall leader's jersey by a one-point buffer from the sprinter. Defending champion Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team) is third on 14 points.
Full results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Caleb Ewan (NSW) NSWIS | 0:49:27 |
2 | Allan Davis (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | |
3 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | |
4 | Nathan Haas (ACT) Bike Bug | |
5 | Zak Dempster (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe | |
6 | James Mowatt (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong | |
7 | Dean Windsor (NSW) Degani Bakery Cafe | |
8 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | |
9 | Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling | 0:00:05 |
10 | Johnnie Walker (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe | |
11 | Wesley Sulzberger (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling | 0:00:28 |
12 | Luke Durbridge (WA) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | 0:00:36 |
13 | Campbell Flakemore (Tas) Genesys Wealth Advisers | 0:00:47 |
14 | Mark O'Brien (Vic) Budget Forklifts | 0:01:18 |
15 | Greg Henderson (NZ) Degani Bakery Cafe | 0:01:19 |
16 | Patrick Lane (Vic) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | 0:02:00 |
17 | Michael Hepburn (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | |
18 | Robbie McEwen (QLD) GreenEdge Cycling | |
19 | Blair Windsor (NSW) Budget Forklifts | |
20 | Oliver Kent-Spark (Vic) John West Cycling | |
21 | Leigh Howard (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | |
22 | Sam Witmitz (Vic) Budget Forklifts | |
23 | Kazushige Kuboki (Jpn) Geelong Mazda | |
24 | Rene Kolbach (NSW) John West Cycling | |
25 | Scott Liston (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong | |
26 | Chris Sutton (NSW) Urban Hotels | 0:02:05 |
27 | Matthew Goss (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling | |
28 | Luke Williams (NSW) NSWIS | |
29 | Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug | |
30 | Steele Von Hoff (Tas) Bike Bug | |
31 | Baden Cooke (Vic) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | |
32 | Nathan Bradshaw (NSW) NSWIS | |
33 | Blake Hose (Vic) Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
34 | Richard Lang (NSW) Urban Hotels | |
35 | Heinrich Haussler (NSW) Bike Bug | |
36 | Nic Sanderson (Vic) Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
37 | Alex Carver (NSW) Bike Bug | |
38 | Joel Pearson (NSW) Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
39 | Michael Knoff (Vic) John West Cycling | |
40 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong | |
41 | Kazuhiro Mori (Jpn) Geelong Mazda | |
42 | Taiji Nishitani (Jpn) Geelong Mazda | |
DNF | Koen de Kort (Ned) Urban Hotels | |
DNF | Bert de Backer (Bel) Urban Hotels | |
DNF | Mark Jamieson (Tas) Degani Bakery Cafe | |
DNF | Kane Walker (Vic) Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
DNF | Peter Loft (Tas) Budget Forklifts | |
DNF | Luke Ockerby (Tas) Budget Forklifts | |
DNF | Nicholas Brian (NSW) John West Cycling | |
DNF | Tirian McManus (NSW) NSWIS | |
DNF | Jack McCulloch (NSW) NSWIS | |
DNF | Takuya Takashi (Jpn) Geelong Mazda | |
DNF | Eya Hashimoto (Jpn) Geelong Mazda | |
DNF | Jos van Emden (Ned) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong | |
DNF | Neil van der Ploeg (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | 3 | pts |
2 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 2 | |
3 | Wesley Sulzberger (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nathan Haas (ACT) Bike Bug | 3 | pts |
2 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 2 | |
3 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 3 | pts |
2 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | 2 | |
3 | Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Allan Davis (QLD) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | 18 | pts |
2 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | 15 | |
3 | Caleb Ewan (NSW) NSWIS | 14 | |
4 | Greg Henderson (NZ) Degani Bakery Cafe | 12 | |
5 | Chris Sutton (NSW) Urban Hotels | 10 | |
6 | Dean Windsor (NSW) Degani Bakery Cafe | 8 | |
7 | Nathan Haas (ACT) Bike Bug | 7 | |
8 | Zak Dempster (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe | 7 | |
9 | Steele Von Hoff (Tas) Bike Bug | 6 | |
10 | Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug | 5 | |
11 | James Mowatt (Vic) Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong | 5 | |
12 | Leigh Howard (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 3 | |
13 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 3 | |
14 | Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling | 2 | |
15 | Johnnie Walker (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bernie Sulzberger (Tas) Urban Hotels | 12 | pts |
2 | Mitch Docker (Vic) GreenEdge Cycling | 9 | |
3 | Nathan Haas (ACT) Bike Bug | 6 | |
4 | Caleb Ewan (NSW) NSWIS | 3 | |
5 | Dean Windsor (NSW) Degani Bakery Cafe | 2 | |
6 | Zak Dempster (Vic) Degani Bakery Cafe | 1 | |
7 | Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling | 1 | |
8 | Wesley Sulzberger (Tas) GreenEdge Cycling | 1 | |
9 | Baden Cooke (Vic) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Urban Hotels | 25 | pts |
2 | Mitchelton Wines - Lowe Farms | 18 | |
3 | Bike Bug | 18 | |
4 | Degani Bakery Cafe | 17 | |
5 | NSWIS | 14 | |
6 | GreenEdge | 6 | |
7 | Rapido Cycles - Four Points Geelong | 5 | |
8 | John West Cycling | 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Loren Rowney (Total Rush/Hyster) | 0:46:45 |
2 | Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) | 0:00:02 |
3 | Melissa Hoskins (Greenedge-AIS) | 0:00:31 |
4 | Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) | |
5 | Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team) | |
6 | Annette Edmondson (Pitcher Partners) | |
7 | Isabella King (Pitcher Partners) | |
8 | Liza Rachetto (Spencers Race) | |
9 | Kate Finegan (Spencers Race) | |
10 | Gracie Elvin (Jayco - AIS) | |
11 | Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS) | 0:00:38 |
12 | Nicole Cooke (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 0:00:48 |
13 | Tiffany Cromwell (Greenedge-AIS) | |
14 | Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) | 0:00:50 |
15 | 65 | 0:00:54 |
16 | Grace Sulzberger (Jayco - AIS) | 0:01:00 |
17 | Sequoia Cooper (Torq) | |
DNF | Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) | |
DNF | Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) | |
DNF | Myfanwy Galloway (BikeExchange Dream Team) | |
DNF | Rebecca Henderson (Suzuki-Trek Women) | |
DNF | Imogen Jelbart (Suzuki-Trek Women) | |
DNF | Ailie Mcdonald (Suzuki-Trek Women) | |
DNF | Allison Rice (Suzuki-Trek Women) | |
DNF | Rebecca Wiasak (Suzuki-Trek Women) | |
DNF | Rowena Fry (Jayco - AIS) | |
DNF | Sinead Noonan (Jayco - AIS) | |
DNF | Sue Forsyth (Pitcher Partners) | |
DNF | Elizabeth Phillipou (Pitcher Partners) | |
DNF | Nadine Le Mescam (Torq) | |
DNF | Thomay Michaltsis (Torq) | |
DNF | Katherine O'Shea (Torq) | |
DNF | Chloe Mcintosh (Total Rush/Hyster) | |
DNF | Kimberley Wells (Total Rush/Hyster) | |
DNF | Carly Williams (Total Rush/Hyster) | |
DNF | Delphine Astier (Spencers Race) | |
DNF | Ella Hopkins (Spencers Race) | |
DNF | Holly Heffernan (NSWIS) | |
DNF | Laura Triggs (NSWIS) | |
DNF | Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSWIS) | |
DNF | Angela Mcclure (Norwood C.C.) | |
DNF | Chloe McConville (Carnigie Caulfield CC) | |
DNF | 50 | |
DNF | Alice Wallett (Canberra Cycling Club) | |
DNF | Jess Wigan (MTBA) | |
DNF | Antonia Abbisogni (Bendigo & District CC) | |
DNF | Jamie Leigh Edwards (Geelong Cycle Club) | |
DNF | 57 | |
DNF | Ella Scanlan-Bloor (Southern Highlands CC) | |
DNF | Melina Bernecker (Le Grange) | |
DNF | Nicole Whitburn (Degani Bakery Cafe) | |
DNF | Tanya Matthewson (Degani Bakery Cafe) | |
DNF | Sarah Riley (Degani Bakery Cafe) | |
DNF | Anna Kauffmann (Degani Bakery Cafe) |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 3 | pts |
2 | Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) | 2 | |
3 | Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS) | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) | 3 | pts |
2 | Loren Rowney (Total Rush/Hyster) | 2 | |
3 | Chloe McConville (Carnigie Caulfield CC) | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) | 19 | pts |
2 | Melissa Hoskins (Greenedge-AIS) | 18 | |
3 | Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 14 | |
4 | Loren Rowney (Total Rush/Hyster) | 12 | |
5 | Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) | 10 | |
6 | Tiffany Cromwell (Greenedge-AIS) | 7 | |
7 | Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) | 6 | |
8 | Annette Edmondson (Pitcher Partners) | 6 | |
9 | Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 5 | |
10 | Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 4 | |
11 | Isabella King (Pitcher Partners) | 4 | |
12 | Rebecca Henderson (Suzuki-Trek Women) | 3 | |
13 | Liza Rachetto (Spencers Race) | 3 | |
14 | Lucy Coldwell (Carnigie Caulfield CC) | 2 | |
15 | Kate Finegan (Spencers Race) | 2 | |
16 | Gracie Elvin (Jayco - AIS) | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) | 5 | pts |
2 | Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS) | 4 | |
3 | Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 3 | |
4 | Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) | 3 | |
5 | Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) | 2 | |
6 | Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) | 2 | |
7 | Loren Rowney (Total Rush/Hyster) | 2 | |
8 | Sue Forsyth (Pitcher Partners) | 1 | |
9 | Chloe McConville (Carnigie Caulfield CC) | 1 | |
10 | Sinead Noonan (Jayco - AIS) | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Total Rush - Hyster | 31 | pts |
2 | GreenEdge-AIS | 23 | |
3 | BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team | 17 | |
4 | Pitcher Partners | 10 | |
5 | Spencers Race | 5 | |
6 | Suzuki-Trek Women | 3 | |
7 | Carnegie Caulfield CC | 2 | |
8 | Jayco - AIS | 1 |
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