Horgan wins Warrnambool ahead of Anderson

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Sam Horgan has completed an astounding podium clean sweep for Budget Forklifts at the 98th Melbourne to Warrnambool on Saturday. After breaking away from two other riders inside the last five kilometres, Horgan took a hard fought win over Jack Anderson whilst their teammate Jake Kauffmann came in five seconds behind to round out the podium.

The win rubber stamped the all-round strength of the Queensland outfit after the team was put on the back foot early on in the race after placing only one rider in an early, and threatening, breakaway of 19.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," said an emotional Horgan. "I have never done this race before but it's been a big target of mine, I've worked hard towards it and it's really meaningful to win a race I've wanted so much."

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As the duo realised the win was theirs, Anderson made a gentlemanly gesture and let Horgan take the victory.

"I definitely won't regret [giving the win away] as Sam is one of the nicest guys you will come across," Anderson said. "Either of us could have had it today and hopefully that's a little bit of payback from some of the help he has given me this year."

For Horgan, it completes what has been an up and down time as he busily travels back and forth between full-time work as a mechanical engineer in New Zealand and a demanding Subaru National Road Series (NRS) calendar in Australia. Horgan was triumphant at the Tour of the Great South Coast, only to be disqualified from the Tour of the Murray River shortly after, for holding onto a team car.

All was redeemed however, for the 26-year-old from Christchurch as he became the first Kiwi rider to win the Australian monument in 91 years, and only the third in the race's history.

How the race unfolded

Riders departed Melbourne's western suburbs at 07:30 with 256km to travel. With the 238 riders participating in the race all fighting to get to the front, and with strong cross winds on the cards, there were multiple crashes early on as club and NRS riders got tangled.

Thankfully the race was soon strung out as an initial break of 19 riders went up the road. Huon-Genesys and Drapac had five riders each in the move, search2retain/PBhealth.com.au had three and Budget Forklifts, Euride Racing and Charter Mason all had two.

As the peloton snaked between head, cross and cross-tail winds, speeds varied between little ring grovelling at 30km/hr and flat out gutter action at over 60.

Drapac remained aggressive and cut the leading break down to 11 riders with Brenton Jones, Aaron Donnelly, Jack Haig, Jack Beckinsale (Huon-Genesys), Robbie Hucker, Will Walker, Tom Palmer, Luke Davison, Darren Lapthorne (Drapac), Matt Clarke (Charter Mason) and eventual runner-up Anderson all surviving the cull.

With the 100km mark passed the peloton had been blown apart and re-formed with many teams desperate to keep their race alive. At the 130km mark the large chase group made contact with the leading 11 riders leaving a group of 50 riders left to fight out the remaining 126km.

Soon after another bunch went off the front, but with infighting amongst already tired legs it was Jason Spencer (Charter Mason) and Scott Law (GPM Data#3) who emerged and sat over a minute in front of a 30 man peloton.

Spencer passed ahead of Law over the KOM through Camperdown as Jack Haig, Tom Robinson (Huon-Genesys), Cameron Bayly (search2retain) Lapthorne, Hucker and Walker joined the leaders with 60km to race.

Following a number of attacks it was last year's winner Floris Goesinnen (Drapac) who broke away with Haig and Spencer with the three quickly moving out to a one minute advantage over the 20 rider peloton with 40km to race. Budget Forklifts and Euride Racing responded by leading the chase and the trio were brought back to within striking distance.

The final hour

With 30km to go, Haig was dropped by his companions with Spencer and Goesinnen extending their lead out to 1:13.

With 15km remaining the peloton behind had split into a number of smaller groups as riders gave it their all to reach the leading duo.

Inside the last 10km, six riders including Goesinnen, Hucker, Anderson, Kauffman, Alex Ray (Target Trek) and Tom Robinson (Huon-Genesys) were sitting 10 seconds in front of another group of ten riders.

With 5km to go it was Ray, Robinson, Anderson and Hucker who remained with Drapac leading the chase in the small group behind. Robinson was dropped on a small rise with 4km to go but fought valiantly to re-join the front four. Straight away Anderson put in another big attack which distanced Robinson and Ray but the four came back together yet again.

Behind the four riders at the head of the race, Beckinsale and Horgan were putting on a storming ride to come across, with Horgan hitting out again as soon as they reached the lead group.

"As we were coming across to the group we could see them slowing up and playing cat and mouse," explained Horgan. "We caught them at about three kilometres to go and I attacked straight away, I didn't hesitate."

With 2.5km to go, Anderson hit across to teammate Horgan in a show of strength as Ray was hanging just off the back of the leaders. Horgan took the win with Anderson in second, meanwhile Ray dug deep but could only manage fifth as Kauffmann and Hucker overhauled him to complete the top five.

"I had a gap by myself up the final climb, I turned around and it was Jack coming across to me and we both buried ourselves to get to the finish," concluded Horgan.