McCarthy wins Mt Gambier criterium

Robert-Jon McCarthy (Euride Racing) has claimed opening honours at the Tour of the Great South Coast. A crash took out one of the South Australian-based team's riders on the final lap, but it proved no hindrance with Euride executing the perfect finish.

Jack Beckinsale (Huon Salmon – Genesys Wealth Advisers) crossed the line in second place, with McCarthy's teammate Russell Gill in third.

"This is my first stage win in the NRS," the 19-year-old said. "It’s a big relief and I really wanted to come here and win a stage, so it takes a bit of a pressure off."

Two intermediate sprint wins for Beckinsale puts the 20-year-old into the overall lead with a four-second advantage over McCarthy.

Racing got underway in Mt Gambier under soggy skies for the 30-lap criterium.

With 11 sprints available for the taking, Ryan MacAnnally (Polygon) who is back in Australia after spending a chunk of the season racing in the amateur ranks in Italy was first out of the blocks. George Tansley (Euride) was second, followed by Jack Haig (Huon-Genesys).

Given Budget Forklifts' domination of the intermediates in recent NRS rounds, it was surprising to see the squad out of the points the first time around but it didn't take them long to get their lead out warmed up, with Jesse Kerrison taking maximum points on the second sprint. Despite the positively dreary conditions, no team was taking the criterium easy with plenty of attacking initiative shown from the peloton, the result being that a solid mix of riders claimed the points on offer in the next intermediates, with Polygon perhaps having their noses just in front.

An attack from African Wildlife Safaris' Darcy Woolley netted maximum points on sprints eight and nine but it was Euride that was rising to the challenge, putting pressure on a rapidly diminishing field.

With three laps to go, just a score of riders remained in contention for the sprint finish. As wind gusts hit the course, the bell rang out for the final lap and a crash brought several riders to ground.

The Tour of the Great South Coast continues on Wednesday afternoon with a circuit race from Mt Gambier to Blue Lake over 65km.

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