Lexus Blackburn Bay Crits 2019: Race 1, Eastern Gardens, Geelong – preview (women)

After an absence of a year, the Bay Crits return with a New Year's Day race on Geelong's Eastern Gardens 1.92km circuit, just a stone's throw away from day two's iconic Ritchie Boulevard crit course.

Riders race up and down the Eastern Park Circuit road and stunning Hearne Parade on the edge of Stingaree Bay in an anti-clockwise direction, with the day's winner knowing that they'll take the crit series' first leader's jersey.

In 2017, that honour fell to Alé's Valentina Scandolara, who in fact went on to win the overall title. Expect to see Mitchelton-Scott doing their best to control things at the head of affairs, both here and over the next couple of days.