Crowd favourites Peter Sagan and Robbie McEwen.(Image credit: Barry Alsop - Eyes Wide Open Images)
Gracie Elvin (Orica-AIS) negotiates one of the hairpin turns in the women's race.(Image credit: Delly Carr)
Robbie McEwen cornering during the men's race.(Image credit: Barry Alsop - Eyes Wide Open Images)
McEwen and Howard were well ahead of their competitors at the line.(Image credit: Barry Alsop - Eyes Wide Open Images)
McEwen just edges out Leigh Howard for the win.(Image credit: Delly Carr)
Simon Clarke and Luke Durbridge in their Orica-GreenEdge team car before the race.(Image credit: Delly Carr)
Robbie McEwen has come out of retirement, albeit briefly, for the second year in a row to win the Subaru Australia Open Criterium in Noosa, Australia, on Saturday. The man charged with mentoring the Orica-GreenEdge sprint squad clearly takes his job very seriously, to the point of showing those under his command just how it is done.
On the narrow hot-dog circuit McEwen proved that his bike handling skills have not dropped off in the slightest as he negotiated his way through the bunch to take the final sprint by a whisker ahead of Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEdge) and Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo-Tinkoff).
The race was highlighted by regular aggression from McEwen, Howard, Sagan, Cantwell and Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge) amongst others. Although Sagan faded to finish seventh, surely his lengthy season finally taking its toll, he still delighted the 20,000 fans present with a post-race wheelie alongside the victorious McEwen.
In the women's event it was reigning NRS champion Katrin Garfoot who won the sprint to the line ahead of Wiggle Honda's newest signing Peta Mullens with the Australian Criterium Champion Kimberly Wells (Specialized Securitor) rounding out the podium.
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Men Brief Results
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
1
Robbie McEwen (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
2
Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3
Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Saxo-Tinkoff
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Women Brief Results
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
1
Katrin Garfoot (Ger) QAS
2
Peta Mullens (Aus) Wiggle Honda
3
Kimberly Wells (Aus) Specialized Securitor
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