Bayly wins with daring solo move

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 Cameron Bayly (search2retain p/b health.com.au) has won this mornings Stage 7 criterium in Koroit with a strong solo attack. The rider who recently returned from the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China where he raced with the Australian National team attacked from a lead breakaway group with three laps remaining and held his lead until the finish. Bayly was appreciative of the experience he gained with the national team and had no doubt it contributed to his victory claiming that he is "feeling stronger now."

"It was a good experience," explained Bayly. "It was hard to do too much results-wise but it's good to come back now and find a bit of form. Basically coming from that tour, it should mean that I have more endurance."

The victory provided relief after what has been a tumultuous two days for the developing Victorian team. Yesterday, search2retain p/b health.com.au celebrated a maiden podium finish for Angus Tobin in the Stage 5 circuit race in Port Fairy. In the afternoon road stage, however, things took a turn for the worse after Bayly suffered a mechanical in the roaring cross-winds and lost all hope of a high placing in the general classification.

Bayly will owe Drapac Cycling a drink or two at the race conclusion on Sunday after the team came to his rescue providing him with a spare bike to race on after the Stage 6 mechanical resigned his current bike to the sidelines.

Jesse Kerrison (Budget Forklifts) extended his lead over Darcy Woolley (African Wildlife Safaris) in the sprint championship to nine points after the pair went head to head in the opening intermediate sprint on lap 6. Every sprint following was contested by breakaway groups allowing the young Queenslander to conserve his sprinting legs.

The stage began with the regular aggression but riders found the going tough as the wind grew stronger throughout the stage. A strong moved forced it's way clear and with the overall lead of Budget Forklift's Sam Horgan under no threat, the group was given enough leash to hold clear until the finish.

The break, consisting of Bayly, teammate Angus Tobin, Daniel Fitter (Racing Kangaroos), Shannon Johnson (Charter Mason), Ben Grenda (Polygon Australia), Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Cycling) and Russel Gill (Euride Racing), got out to a 45 second lead before the attacks came.

With Johnson, Gill, Sulzberger and Grenda all possessing sprint finishes capable of winning from a bunch, let alone a breakaway, it was incumbent upon the search2retain p/b health.com.au duo to try their luck off the front of the small group.

Fitter was of the same mindset as he went about claiming the Shimano Most Aggressive award.

"I didn't think the move was going to stick but I knew that I had to get away, as everyone in that group was strong sprinters," said Fitter.

With four laps remaining it was Sulzberger and Tobin who went clear, forcing a response from the rest of the break. As they were reeled in it was Bayly who counter attacked to seal the win with style.
Scott Law (GPM Data#3), who finished seventh on the stage, was rewarded for his consistent placings in each criterium by taking the overall Criterium Championship jersey. Anthony Giacoppo previously led the competition after claiming three stages, but the Huon-Genesys rider was unable to start Stage 7 due to tonsilitis.

Sam Horgan (Budget Forklifts) retains his overall lead and looks strong in defence of the race heading into this afternoons 104 kilometre stage from Koroit to Peterborough. The stage features a number of dangerous changes in direction and cross wind sections as the peloton skirts along the Victorian coastline.

 More to come

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