Garfoot takes first stage at Goldfields Tour

Subaru National Road Series (NRS) leader Katrin Garfoot (Jayco/Apollo/VIS) has won the opening stage criterium at the Tour of the Goldfields on Friday in Ballarat. Garfoot has taken a roundabout path to the Tour of the Goldfields having left her original team for the year, Pensar SPM Racing, and instead taken to the race as a guest rider with the Jayco/Apollo women's VIS team.

Garfoot and her former Pensar SPM Racing teammate Ruth Corset have been going head to head for the title of NRS champion since they finished first and second respectively in the opening round at the Tour of Mersey Valley in April. Garfoot remained with the team until the Tour of the Murray River at the beginning of September but by the National Capital Tour towards the end of the same month Garfoot and Pensar SPM had gone their separate ways. Garfoot raced the National Capital Tour as a guest with Siren Bar and today raced with her third NRS team for the year in the Jayco/Apollo women's VIS team.

The final event of the women's NRS for 2013 was run in wet and trying conditions today as the 70 starters rolled out in Victoria Park. Garfoot outsprinted teammate Chloe McConville at the end of the 42 kilometre race, with Ruth Corset (Pensar SPM) finishing third.

Garfoot held a three point lead over Corset at the start of the Tour, with her victory today extending that out to five. With three stages and two days of racing remaining the battle between Garfoot and Corset for the NRS title is set to go down to the wire.

The Tour continues on Saturday with two stages at Burrumbeet - a 20km team time trial in the morning and a 58km road race in the afternoon. The Tour concludes on Sunday with an 82km road race.