Odette Lynch (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) and Kurt Eather (CCACHE x Bodywrap) sprinted to victory in the beachside opening criterium of the three-stage Harbour City GP on Friday.
Eather, who also won in Cronulla at last year's edition of the race, was followed over the line by teammate Oscar Gallagher, while it was Australian road champion Patrick Eddy (Team Brennan) who took third in the fourth round in the Hertz ProVelo Super League.
It was an emphatic win for Lynch ahead of U23 riders Belinda Bailey (Nstrmo x Attaquer x CCACHE) and Amelie Sanders (Meridian Bikebug), with Lynch's two teammates, Warrnambool Women's Classic winner Sophie Edwards and Keely Bennett, also taking fourth and fifth.
"At the end, I had Soph there, I was just glued to her wheel, and she was actually doing so much work for me today," Lynch told broadcasters SBS, who are also the naming sponsor of the women's league.
"I was like, 'can't stuff this up, can't stuff this up'" and she certainly didn't, carving out a clear-cut victory in the stretched-out sprint.
The hour-long criteriums were run on a 1.2km beachside course in Cronulla, which included a tight hairpin bend, the short and sharp route providing a considerable contrast to the last leg of racing in the series with the Melbourne to Warrnambool and Warrnambool Women's Classic.
The Harbour City GP continues on Saturday with a race on the Pheasant Wood Circuit and then moves onto the Queen stage at Kangaloon on Sunday.
Position |
Rider/team |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Odette Lynch (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) |
1:04:21 |
2 |
Belinda Bailey (Nstrmo x Attaquer x CCACHE) |
- |
3 |
Amelie Sanders (Meridian Bikebug |
- |
4 |
Sophie Edwards (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) |
- |
5 |
Keely Bennett (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) |
- |
Position |
Rider/team |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Kurt Eather (CCACHE x Bodywrap) |
59:03 |
2 |
Oscar Gallagher (CCACHE x Bodywrap) |
- |
3 |
Patrick Eddy (Team Brennan) |
- |
4 |
Oliver Bleddyn (Team Brennan) |
- |
5 |
Alistair Forsyth (VIS p/b K.O.M.P) |
- |
