Peta Mullens wins Santos Festival of Cycling stage 1

Peta Mullens (Roxsolt LIV Sram) unleashed a powerful sprint from the lead group to take out the opening stage of four-days of racing at the Santos Festival of Cycling

A split in the peloton, that left pre-race favourite Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) chasing, meant it was down to a bunch of about a dozen who were jostling for position as the line of the National Road Series race approached. A well-positioned Mullens, who has a long list of Australian titles across a range of cycling disciplines, shot out of the group to take a clear win in the 80.7 kilometre stage from Seppeltsfield to Tanunda.

Then came Ruby Roseman-Gannon (ARA Pro-Racing), with a second on the stage boding well for her overall chances at the event, which replaces the cancelled Santos Women’s Tour Down Under. 

"It was great," said Mullens straight after taking the win. "We’ve been wanting to get back to racing for a really long time. I feel like this was the last time that we had a really big bike race. We just wanted to come here and animate the race. I just wanted the girls to feel part of the bike race and winning was really just part of paying them back." 

Mullens hadn’t played up her chances in pre-race interviews but with the number of wins she has clocked up over diverse terrain it’s never too surprising to see the winner of Australian road, mountain bike and cyclocross national championships out the front and charging toward the line. 

How it unfolded

Starting out between the grape vines of Seppeltsfield with the blue sky of a typical sunny summer day in South Australia above, it was a serene start to the racing. Though, that’s not the way thing continued in the stage which included three ascents of Mengler Hill, approached from the east. 

No sooner had the flag dropped than riders went off the front. First it was Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing) then there was an impressive break from individual rider, Alana Forster, who first joined Deacon and then rode on alone.

The competition to mop up whatever mountain and sprint points could be found behind the breaks continued in the peloton, but then with little more than 20 kilometres to go Team BikeExchange assembled at the front on their new Bianchi bikes and it wasn’t long before the gap to Forster evaporated and the peloton started to shrink. 

Then the final climb of Mengler Hill quickly split the race apart, with a small group forming out the front including many of the pre-race favourites, including Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia), Roseman-Gannon and some other handy sprinters including Mullens. Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange) was also in that lead group but noticeably absent was Brown.  

Stuck behind, Brown’s attempts to chase were to no avail, with plenty of incentive to keep pushing the pace out the front. The lead group were still over a minute clear when they wound up for the sprint and the podium ended up being full of domestic riders, with Nicola Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) finishing behind Mullens and Roseman-Gannon. Brown came in with the chasing group 1:12 back. 

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Full Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Peta Mullens (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 2:18:31
2Ruby Roseman-gannon (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
3Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade)
4Matilda Raynolds (Specialized Women's Racing)
5Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia)
6Neve Bradbury (Team Garmin Australia)
7Danielle de Francesco (Specialized Women's Racing)
8Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange)
9Carlee Taylor (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
10Anya Louw (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
11Elizabeth Stannard (Specialized Women's Racing)Sydney Uni Staminade
12Laura Luxford (Specialized Women's Racing)
13Holly Harris (Specialized Women's Racing) 0:00:11
14Stephanie Corset (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:01:12
15Georgia Baker (Team Garmin Australia)
16Breeana Hargrave (Specialized Women's Racing)
17Darcie Richards (Velofit Australia)
18Alexandra Manly (Team BikeExchange)
19Amber Pate (South Australian Institue of Sport)
20Ella Bloor (Specialized Women's Racing)
21Ashlee Akundinoff (Team Garmin Australia)
22Hailey Mason (Butterfields Racing)
23Alana Forster (Unattached)
24Haylee Fuller (Sydney Uni Staminade)
25Bree Wilson (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
26Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange)
27Staci Mccudden (StepFWD IT Suzuki)
28Emma Viotto (Giant Racing Team)
29Chelsea Holmes (Giant Racing Team)
30Cassia Boglio (Velofit Australia)
31Victoria Barry (Velofit Australia)
32Annette Edmondson (Team Garmin Australia) 0:01:27
33Loretta Hanson (Team Garmin Australia)
34Jennifer Darmody (Sydney Uni Staminade) 0:03:10
35Pia Smith (StepFWD IT Suzuki) 0:03:12
36Courtney Sherwell (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
37Sophie Edwards (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
38Holly Lubcke (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
39Sarah roy (Team BikeExchange)
40Nicola Macdonald (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
41Jessica Allen (Team BikeExchange)
42Catelyn Turner (Sydney Uni Staminade)
43Hannah Seeliger (Butterfields Racing)
44Kelly Fettes (Butterfields Racing) 0:04:22
45Libby Young (Butterfields Racing) 0:04:32
46Brittany Petersen (Butterfields Racing)
47Nicole Mitsigeorgis (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:05:32
48Erin Bertram (Velofit Australia)
49Kate Bonner (Velofit Australia)
50Maeve Plouffe (Team Garmin Australia)
51Alexandra Martin Wallace (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 0:07:41
52Shannon Mccurley (Unattached)
53Katarina Chung-orr (South Australian Institue of Sport) 0:08:53
54Isabella Flint (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
55Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:10:02
56Gemma Mollenhauer (Giant Racing Team) 0:11:05
57Sa_ron Button (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 0:13:16
58Jessica Lawler (Velofit Australia)
59Fleur Wellings (South Australian Institue of Sport)
60Ella Falzarano (Giant Racing Team)
61Celia Cowan (South Australian Institue of Sport) 0:15:10
62Amalia Langham (StepFWD IT Suzuki) 0:18:55
63Lauren Perry (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
64Sue ann Woodwiss (Butterfields Racing) 0:19:23
65Emily Fowler (StepFWD IT Suzuki)
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Intermediate sprint
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 3
2Ruby Roseman-gannon (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 2
3Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) 1
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Intermediate sprint
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alana Forster (Unattached) 3
2Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 2
3Annette Edmondson (Team Garmin Australia) 1
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Finish
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Peta Mullens (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 3
2Ruby Roseman-gannon (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 2
3Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) 1
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Mountain 1
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 5
2Laura Luxford (Specialized Women's Racing) 3
3Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia) 2
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Mountain 2
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia) 5
2Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) 3
3Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange) 2
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General classification after stage 1
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Peta Mullens (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 2:18:21
2Ruby Roseman-gannon (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 0:00:02
3Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) 0:00:06
4Matilda Raynolds (Specialized Women's Racing) 0:00:10
5Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia)
6Neve Bradbury (Team Garmin Australia)
7Danielle de Francesco (Specialized Women's Racing)
8Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange)
9Carlee Taylor (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
10Anya Louw (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
11Elizabeth Stannard (Specialized Women's Racing)Sydney Uni Staminade
12Laura Luxford (Specialized Women's Racing)
13Holly Harris (Specialized Women's Racing) 0:00:21
14Alana Forster (Unattached) 0:01:19
15Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) 0:01:21
16Stephanie Corset (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:01:22
17Georgia Baker (Team Garmin Australia)
18Breeana Hargrave (Specialized Women's Racing)
19Darcie Richards (Velofit Australia)
20Alexandra Manly (Team BikeExchange)
21Amber Pate (South Australian Institue of Sport)
22Ella Bloor (Specialized Women's Racing)
23Ashlee Akundinoff (Team Garmin Australia)
24Hailey Mason (Butterfields Racing)
25Haylee Fuller (Sydney Uni Staminade)
26Bree Wilson (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
27Staci Mccudden (StepFWD IT Suzuki)
28Emma Viotto (Giant Racing Team)
29Chelsea Holmes (Giant Racing Team)
30Cassia Boglio (Velofit Australia)
31Victoria Barry (Velofit Australia)
32Annette Edmondson (Team Garmin Australia) 0:01:36
33Loretta Hanson (Team Garmin Australia) 0:01:37
34Jennifer Darmody (Sydney Uni Staminade) 0:03:20
35Pia Smith (StepFWD IT Suzuki) 0:03:22
36Courtney Sherwell (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
37Sophie Edwards (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
38Holly Lubcke (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
39Sarah roy (Team BikeExchange)
40Nicola Macdonald (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
41Jessica Allen (Team BikeExchange)
42Catelyn Turner (Sydney Uni Staminade)
43Hannah Seeliger (Butterfields Racing)
44Kelly Fettes (Butterfields Racing) 0:04:32
45Libby Young (Butterfields Racing) 0:04:42
46Brittany Petersen (Butterfields Racing)
47Nicole Mitsigeorgis (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:05:42
48Erin Bertram (Velofit Australia)
49Kate Bonner (Velofit Australia)
50Maeve Plouffe (Team Garmin Australia)
51Alexandra Martin Wallace (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 0:07:51
52Shannon Mccurley (Unattached)
53Katarina Chung-orr (South Australian Institue of Sport) 0:09:03
54Isabella Flint (Roxsolt LIV Sram)
55Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:10:07
56Gemma Mollenhauer (Giant Racing Team) 0:11:15
57Sa_ron Button (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 0:13:26
58Jessica Lawler (Velofit Australia)
59Fleur Wellings (South Australian Institue of Sport)
60Ella Falzarano (Giant Racing Team)
61Celia Cowan (South Australian Institue of Sport) 0:15:20
62Amalia Langham (StepFWD IT Suzuki) 0:19:05
63Lauren Perry (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
64Sue ann Woodwiss (Butterfields Racing) 0:19:33
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Sprint clalssification
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 5
2Ruby Roseman-gannon (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 4
3Peta Mullens (Roxsolt LIV Sram) 3
4Alana Forster (Unattached) 3
5Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) 1
6Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) 1
7Annette Edmondson (Team Garmin Australia) 1
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Mountain classification
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia) 7
2Kirsty Deacon (Veris Racing Women's Team) 5
3Nicole Frain (Sydney Uni Staminade) 3
4Laura Luxford (Specialized Women's Racing) 3
5Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange) 2
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Young rider classification
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sarah Gigante (Team Garmin Australia) 2:18:31
2Neve Bradbury (Team Garmin Australia)
3Anya Louw (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women)
4Stephanie Corset (Veris Racing Women's Team) 0:01:12
5Darcie Richards (Velofit Australia)
6Haylee Fuller (Sydney Uni Staminade)
7Staci Mccudden (StepFWD IT Suzuki)
8Chelsea Holmes (Giant Racing Team)
9Cassia Boglio (Velofit Australia)
10Sophie Edwards (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women) 0:03:12
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Team classification
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Specialized Women's Racing 6:55:33
2Team Garmin Australia 0:01:12
3Roxsolt LIV Sram
4Team BikeExchange 0:02:24
5ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast Women 0:03:12
6Velofit Australia 0:03:36
7Sydney Uni Staminade 0:04:22
8Butterfields Racing 0:08:46
9Giant Racing Team 0:13:29
10Veris Racing Women's Team 0:16:46
11StepFWD IT Suzuki 0:23:19
12South Australian Institue of Spor 0:23:21

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Production editor

Simone joined the team as Production Editor based in Australia at the start of the 2021 season, having previously worked as Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg.

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