Hosking wins Bay Crits day two

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Chloe Hosking, riding for the Lexus of Blackburn team at this year's Bay Crits, took victory on day two of the series on a Ritchie Boulevard course in Geelong, Australia, by out-sprinting breakaway companions Valentina Scandolara (Roxsolt Attaquer) and Matilda Raynolds.

Scandolara and Hosking got away together just before the half-hour mark of the 45-minute race, and it was immediately clear that it was a serious, and dangerous, move.

While former Bay Crits champion Hosking would have had winning on her mind, she at first appeared reticent to ride with defending champion Scandolara – especially as Hosking's Lexus teammate and overall race leader Amanda Spratt, who won Tuesday's opening race, was behind them in a depleted peloton.

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After a couple more laps at the head of the race around the 650-metre circuit, the duo were joined by Australian Matilda Raynolds, and it became clear that the move was going to stick and all three riders committed to the cause.

In the sprint for the line, Hosking was able to hold off Scandolara, with Raynolds out of the mix, but holding on for a well-deserved podium spot.

"I spoke a lot to my coach this season about trying to pick up results in smaller races to give me the confidence for the bigger races, so I can use this for that," Hosking said at the finish. "But I still know there's a lot of work to go, and I'm fortunate in that this course is really suited to my strengths, so it's easy to hide my weaknesses."

Rebecca Wiasak won the sprint for fourth place, almost 20 seconds down, which puts her equal on points with Hosking and Scandolara heading into the final race in Williamstown on Thursday, with Spratt having dropped to fourth, a point behind, after taking seventh place.

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