Visma-Lease a Bike were certainly riding at the men's Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race like a team with a race favourite in their midst. After all, Matthew Brennan had proven he was a fast finisher who could wrangle a climb when he took victory at the final stage of the Santos Tour Down Under.
The team worked to control the break and to pull the race back together through the climbs, while Brennan was impressive in his ability to hold firm on the finishing circuit through the four ascents of the short but steep Challambra Crescent. After the race exploded on the final run over that pivotal climb, he then ended up as the sole Visma-Lease a Bike rider in a lead group of around 20 that were charging toward the line.
