Ruby Roseman-Gannon takes the stage and overall victory at Santos Festival of Cycling

Ruby Roseman-Gannon (BikeExchange-Jayco) added a stage victory to her unyielding grip on the overall on day 3 of the Santos Festival of Cycling, finishing the GC determining road stages of the South Australian race on a high note before getting set to put on the jersey of the Australian criterium champion for Wednesday's women's racing finale.

The newly signed BikeExchange-Jayco rider, who took second place in the first two stages, delivered a clear win in the stretched out sprint in Lobethal after the team fighting off the numerous attempts during the stage to try and chip away at the lead in the overall competition. Roseman-Gannon, however, didn't give them that chance, just stretching it with intermediate sprint placings and that podium topping finish.

"It's so good to finish it off on a high," said Roseman-Gannon. "The last two days were good but not what I wanted, I wanted  to finish off the job so today is the dream day."

Australian champion Nicole Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) came over the line second, which also helped her jump up to second overall, while Roseman-Gannon's teammate Georgia Baker held on after the lead-out to take third on the stage. That also made it a tight run battle for third on the GC, putting Baker 25 seconds back with Maeve Plouffe (ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) , but the stage two winner Plouffe held the position.

How it unfolded

With the General Classification so tight – the top 23 riders all within 23 seconds – the decisive 86.9km stage, which started and finished in Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, was always going to be fiery and with the first of two unpaved sections barely 2km into the racing it was not surprising that the moves started rolling early. It was the versatile multi-discipline rider Peta Mullens (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) who initially shot across to the gravel out the front and Ruth Corset (VA Pro Racing) was among those that joined, but with key riders attentive to the danger and quick to react it was a split that wasn’t allowed to get well established.

Next out the front it was Lauren Thomas (Giant Racing), Sydney Uni Staminade teammates Josie Talbot and Georgia Whitehouse along with Nicola Macdonald (Roxsolt Liv SRAM). After that it was Australian champion Nicole Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) that set the peloton scrambling, shooting out the front solo and stretching the gap as the first intermediate sprint approached at 23 km into the racing. 

There were reactions aplenty, but Frain had a big enough gap out the front that it was clear she would sweep up the top intermediate sprint points and 3 second bonus, enough to move her up one spot on the GC before lining up the next shift up the overall on the final line. Georgie Howe (Knights of Suburbia Racing), who was chasing Frain, took  second place in that intermediate sprint while Roseman-Gannon made another small deposit in her bonus time piggy bank. 

The break attempts continued but weren’t let run too far after until Elizabeth Young (Butterfields Racing) built a solid gap, stretching it out to over a minute as Ella Bloor (Inform TMX MAKE) fought to catch on behind with around 40 kilometres to go.  Bloor held on just long enough to take second place behind Young in the next intermediate sprint of the day, at nearly 60 kilometres in, while Roseman-Gannon again jumped to accumulate another second of time bonuses.

With Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange-Jayco) working relentlessly on the front as the second gravel section approached the gap to Young shrunk. It was down to around 30 seconds by the time the race had moved into its final 14km and as the gravel gave way and the challenge of that final climb, and the day’s QOM point, approached the field was together. Grace Brown (Team Garmin Australia) went right at the base, providing what looked like a perfect lead out to Corset, who attacked over the top to secure the Queen of the Mountain jersey. 

Behind Roseman-Gannon was on guard – not wanting to be undone at the final hurdle – with the climb just two kilometres from the line, particularly not after all the work that had been put in.

“I remember thinking just coming out of the gravel you have got to so deep, whatever goes you have got to be there," said Roseman-Gannon. "I knew I had to take full responsibility for that because my team had been working all week for me, so I was ready.” 

It was then a flawless run into the line for BikeExchange-Jayco, with the ever hard working Alex Manly driving the pace, then Baker and finally the launch of Roseman-Gannon to clinch the stage victory to add to her two stage second places and overall tour victory.

The four days of women’s racing in South Australia finishes on Wednesday evening with a criterium on a 1.35km circuit in the heart of Adelaide, running over 45 minutes and 1 lap.