Rhodes completes a solid week for the GreenEdge-AIS team.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Sinead Noonan (Jayco-AIS) leads Claudia Hausler (GreenEDGE-AIS) and Loren Rowney (Specialized SA).
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Close to the finishing laps and still leading, Loes Gunnewijk (GreenEDGE-AIS) on her own.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Taryn Heather (SASI) raised the pace of the peloton to chase Gunnewijk. She was marked by Arndt.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
The final rider from the GreenEDGE-AIS squad to go away was Alexis Rhodes, in the last 7 minutes of the 30 minute race.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Preparing for her victory, Alexis Rhodes (GreenEDGE-AIS) was almost 150 metres ahead at the finish.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Alexis Rhodes (GreenEDGE-AIS) punches the air on winning the final race in the Santos Cup for women with a trademark solo break.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Judith Arndt beat Loren Rowney to second place and thereby took overall victory in the Santos Cup for women 2012
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
The race winner, who is, fittingly, the Australian criterium Champion Alexis Rhodes, with GreenEDGE-AIS financial backer Gerry Ryan.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Overall series winner on points, Judith Arndt (GreenEDGE-AIS) in the bunch.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
The penultimate GreenEDGE-AIS rider to attack was Loes Gunnewijk.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Grace Sulzberger (Jayco-AIS) chases another GreenEDGE-AIS break.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Series leader, Rebecca Werner (Specialized SA) before the start.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Eventual race winner, Alexis Rhodes (GreenEDGE-AIS) corners into the start / finish straight.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Amanda Spratt (GreenEDGE-AIS) leads the race.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Loren Rowney (Specialized SA) chases Spratt.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Rebecca Werner (Specialized SA) worked hard to defend her series lead.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
A very recognisable style - Skye-Lee Armstrong (Giant) has just returned to racing after illness and injury for over a season.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Rowena Fry (GreenEDGE-AIS) was next to make a gap and raise the pace.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
Jessie Maclean (GreenEDGE-AIS) goes off the front.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
There has been considerable TV interest in the series this year.
(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
The equation was simple at the start of the day for GreenEdge-AIS. The team had two riders in the picture for the overall, Judith Arndt, who won on Monday, and Amanda Spratt. Nothing less than the victory would suffice and to do that they had to unseat a stubborn Rebecca Werner (Specialized Women SA).
Werner to her credit was admirable in her defense of the overall. Despite being out numbered 3-1 woman to woman she rode like a rider possessed – covering everything, riding smart, and making good use of her teammates.
But it was tough going from the start for Werner. GreenEdge-AIS threw rider after rider up the road, Rowena Fry, Jessie Maclean even Spratt herself all had digs which caused massive carnage. Chloe Hosking and Liz Phillipou were quickly casualties on the fast Unley circuit which made the going no easier.
It was GreenEdge-AIS attack after attack, and each lap the field reduced. Jayco-AIS were also there with Sinead Noonan one of the most active from her team. But even with Loren Rowney pulling out the ride of the day, a GreenEdge-AIS move finally stuck, this time with Australian criterium champion Alexis Rhodes.
Rhodes soloed to the finish, with a determined five laps off the front, but it was the race behind that became the focus. Arndt launched her "diesel" sprint from about 500 metres to go to take second, with an exhausted Werner too far back.
“Yeah I’m not much of a sprinter, so it’s like my only tactic,” smiled Rhodes at the finish. “We had confidence in Judith so we just had to work to try and set her up in any way we could. The stage was a bonus.”
Arndt meanwhile was caught unawares that she'd even taken the overall.
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"I won, did I?" she asked at the end of the race. "It's great, I'm really happy to have taken it. We really wanted to win today and to actually get it is a perfect end to the week. Now we're off to Qatar."
Alex Hinds is a graduate of Economics and Political Science from Sydney University. Growing up in the metropolitan area of the city he quickly became a bike junkie, dabbling in mountain and road riding. Alex raced on the road in his late teens, but with the time demands of work and university proving too much, decided not to further pursue full-time riding.
If he was going to be involved in cycling in another way the media seemed the next best bet and jumped at the opportunity to work in the Sydney office of Cyclingnews when an offer arose in early 2011.
Though the WorldTour is of course a huge point of focus throughout the year, Alex also takes a keen interest in the domestic racing scene with a view to helping foster the careers of the next generation of cycling.
When not writing for Cyclingnews Alex is a strong proponent of the awareness of cyclists on the road in Sydney having had a few close run-ins with city traffic in the past.
