I'm going to take a slightly different approach to my blog this week. I'll try to post something every day, but it will be a bit more personal than everything else that I've put up so far. I'm hoping to capture my own experience while still discussing what's actually happening at the Road Nationals. In short, I'm trying to balance race reports/analysis with my own self-indulgence.
I arrived Tuesday evening (in Warrenheip, which is a bit out of Ballarat, but a delightful and beautiful ride a bit out of Ballarat), having taken about an hour over a late lunch in Stawell. The Stawell Central Park that houses rose gardens and the Oval used for the annual Stawell Gift is a remarkable place. It is incredibly well kept, and has tremendous history. There are three old grandstands around the grass oval, with a fourth made of metal scaffolding. The stand that I ate lunch in dates back to 1899, and the whole vibe of the place is relaxing, historical and impressive. As ultimately irrelevant to cycling as it is, I encourage those passing through to check out an Australian sporting landmark.
But I'm in Ballarat to watch the cycling National Championships, which kicked off with the men's Under-23 criterium on the Wednesday afternoon. Overcast skies, mild January temperatures, a few half-hearted attempts at rain, and a stiff breeze were the order of the day. Fortunately, the course stayed dry throughout the afternoon, which possibly saved some headaches - it's not safe to run a criterium like that in the rain, but can you really call off a National Championship? The course through the heart of Ballarat's CBD isn't a traditional and technical "crit" course (it's a hotdog circuit, actually) but the bottom corner is off-camber and at the end of a downhill run, which is a bad enough combination in the dry! This makes the finish line near the top of an uphill drag of 2-3%. Today, the breeze was such that the uphill run had the tailwind, and the downhill section the headwind, so there was no let-up for the riders.
Mind you, the U-23 riders didn't seem to want a let-up in the race pace anyway. Groups formed off of the front constantly, with State of Matter/MAAP omnipresent both in the breaks and on the front of the chase. A group of nine riders finally made an attack stay away with the black Focus kits well represented by Tom Chapman, Jason Lea and Scott Bowden. Ultimately though, the gap never exceeded 12 seconds and the race was being set up for Daniel Fitter from the State of Matter/MAAP team (despite the ticket-collecting presence of team-mate Ryan Cavanagh in the break), who ultimately suffered a mechanical problem in the sprint to the line. As personally disappointed as Fitter will be, team founder Leigh Parsons will be pleased that Jesse Kerrison was able to sprint to the win ahead of JML's Sam Welsford, with Fitter still finishing third. I'm excited to think what MAAP can do with some creative license designing an Australian Champion's jersey!
The second race of the evening was the women's combined Elite and Under-23 race. With 36 riders registered, and five of them from the Orica-AIS squad, the race was always going to be a different spectacle to the men's Under-23, and so it proved. After a slowish, watchful start (which allowed me to find a spot right on the barriers 20 metres behind the line, a spot I wasn't going to move from all evening!), Rachel Neylan was the first rider to create a significant gap, despite a couple of tentative digs from Lauren Kitchen, which at least yielded sprint points if not a sizable lead. The reaction came from the impressive Peta Mullens, Amanda Spratt and Loretta Hansen (who was sacrificing her own U-23 race in order to help defending champion Kimberley Wells) who worked to keep the field together. Ultimately though, Mullens and Wells were caught out when a strong group of nine riders formed under the impetus of Lizzie Williams and Miranda Griffiths. With four Orica-AIS riders up the road and no-one in the chase having any team-mates, the gap kept stretching. The positive of this break was that it effectively separated the sprints for the Elite and U-23 races, with none of the U-23s making the front selection. Despite controlling the break leading into the last lap, Orica-AIS were upstaged by Sophie Mackay, who outsprinted Lizzie Williams and Lauren Kitchen to take a memorable win. 32 seconds later, Jessica Mundy outsprinted Shannon Malseed, who half-heartedly suggested that her line on the barriers may have been impeded. Sophie Mackay was ecstatic with her win, and should be easy enough to spot this week if she's telling the truth about not wanting to take the jersey off for a week!
After the exciting conclusion to the women's race, and an incredibly positive presentation ceremony, the Elite men took to the start line. Caleb Ewan was the clear favourite with a strong team and superb form from the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, but Brenton Jones, Anthony Giacoppo, Scott Sunderland and Steele von Hoff were also on the start line. This race was also fast and aggressive, with attacks going off of the front right from the start in a bid to unsettle Orica-Greenedge. Avanti-IsoWhey and Drapac were the constant thorns in Orica's side, with their riders represented in every move. Sam Spokes, Adam Phelan, Lachlan Norris and Robbie Hucker were particularly prominent, and were joined intermittently by individual opportunists such as Cameron Bayly, Jay McCarthy, Shaun O'Callaghan and Darcy Woolley. Orica-Greenedge (or more specifically, Luke Durbridge and Jack Haig) were determined to keep every attack on a short leash though, and ultimately brought the race back together with 4 laps to go. Still with riders in reserve, and despite the presence of lead-outs from Drapac and Avanti, Orica-Greenedge gave Caleb Ewan an armchair ride into the finishing straight, where he duly crossed the line with enough of an advantage to salute before the finishing line.
This might only be the first day of RoadNats, but I'm once again impressed by the quality of racing, the city of Ballarat, the organisation, and the crowds that lined the uphill drag at least 3 people deep for most of the straight. Such a crowd meant that I knew I wasn't going to give up my position on the barriers because I couldn't have got back to it if I'd tried, and that's a credit to cycling fans who are here for the same reasons that I am. I also wonder if some people have decided to make a week of the event because of the Gran Fondo Championships on Saturday morning, and if they have, it's a masterstroke from Cycling Australia that increases spectator numbers all week, general interest, and coverage of the women's race on the Sunday before the men's race. I guess I'll find out if there are more cyclists around when I ride out to watch the Time Trials tomorrow morning.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the week already!
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