Arndt laps field to take first win in GreenEdge colours

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Judith Arndt (GreenEdge-AIS) won the second round of the women's criterium series in Prospect today, but it was the performance of GreenEdge as a whole that really raised eyebrows.

"I feel dead," said Arndt at the finish. "I killed myself out there. I feel dizzy at the moment, the heat was really hard to get used to. But I'm happy to have taken the result today in the GreenEdge colours."

On the back of a confusion plagued opening criterium that saw the majority of the women's field not contest what was in fact the final sprint in Rymill Park, GreenEdge-AIS, who to their credit actually rode a good race on Sunday came out in round two to make sure the same "mistake" didn't happen again.

"I was confident yesterday that the girls were going to pull it off." said GreenEdge-AIS director Dave McPartland at the stage finish. "But with the confusion at the finish, we didn't get the result and that put a dampener on things last night. I just made sure the girls bounced back in the best possible way today."

GreenEdge tore the main field to pieces in the 40 minute criterium, and by the fifth lap, more than two thirds of the field had either retired or been lapped.

Arndt ended up out in front almost by accident after initially bridging to the lead group of two riders, Amanda Spratt (GreenEdge-AIS) and Gracie Elvin (Jayco-AIS) to help out her teammate. Spratt and Elvin had toiled together in the lead for the majority of the race, but as Arndt closed, Spratt started to sit on, allowing the German to close and eventually catch up to the break.

But when she caught the leaders, the Elvin and Spratt were so fatigued from their efforts in the hot afternoon sun, that Arndt simply continued right past them. Arndt was going so well that she continued on her motoring pace and evenutally lapped the main field, who's chase was lethargic at best.

By the finish the world time trial champion had a margin of more than 30 seconds, with Elvin besting Spratt in the sprint for second.

"Full credit to Judith today," said McPartland. "Because her condition is a long way behind a lot of the Australians who have already done really good preparation through December. It's a great sign of her class when she can win like that [lapping the field] on the form she's got at the moment."

Results

1. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEdge-AIS

2. Gracie Elvin (Aus) Jayco-AIS

3. Amanda Spratt (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS

Overall leader

1. Rebecca Werner (Aus)