Caleb Ewan (Subaru NSWIS) showcased his precocious talent with a smart sprint win in the Williamstown Criterium, the final event of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, while Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics) claimed overall victory in the series.
The race began without the previous day’s winner Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge), who was suffering from the effects of a sore throat, but the action was nothing less than wholehearted once the flag dropped.
Escapees Marc Williams (Budget Forklifts) and Harry Carpenter (SASI Cycling) gamely tried to avoid the inevitable bunch finish, but they were never able to open their gap beyond 15 seconds. A mass crash with 15 minutes remaining forced the entire peloton to take a lap out, but the action resumed in time for a tense bunch finish.
The rapid Caleb Ewan led into the final corner and he duly emerged victorious with a long, powerful effort that brought him clear of Jones and Zak Dempster (SASI) in the final sprint.
"I was actually really nervous coming into this race because I really wanted to show that I still had it and I hadn't really shown that in the rest of the series,” Ewan said. "It got really sketchy in the second last corner but guys coming on the inside and I actually got pushed outside, and I knew if I didn't go then and get the jump into the corner then I couldn't win so I jumped really early and it paid off."
Jones’ second place on the day was ample consolation, given that it was enough to elevate him above Dempster in the final overall standings. It was the biggest victory of the former mountain bike rider’s career.
"From the start in the warm up, and this morning when I woke up I thought, ‘that's it - put the race face on, get motivated, I really want this one,’" Jones said afterwards.
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Bronzini untouchable in women’s race
Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda) continued her fine start to the 2014 season as she won her third race in four days to claim final overall victory in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic.
The double world champion was able to rely on the stout support of her strong Wiggle Honda squad throughout the race, and then she delivered a typically explosive sprint finish to win the day and the series.
In the finishing sprint, Bronzini simply had too much speed for her fellow countrywoman Valentina Scandolara (Orica-AIS) and Tiffany Cromwell (Specialized Securitor), who was such an aggressive presence over the four days of racing.
Bronzini’s mastery in the sprint was such that she finished the series with a 12-point buffer over second-placed Annette Edmondson (Orica-AIS) and 16 points clear of Cromwell. The Piacenza native is the first foreign overall winner of the women’s event at the Bay Cycling Classic.
"I am really happy because I brought my yellow jersey to the finish,” said Bronzini. “We are really happy because today the team worked so well.
