Victorian Anna Wilson was the highest-placed of the four Australians with a 6th placing in the one-day CoreStates Liberty Classic race. She was in a bunch of 60 that sprinted for the line at the end of the 93km race in Philadelphia with Olympic gold medallist Petra Rossner of Germany leading the field home. Rossner will soon move to Australia to live.
Wilson's team-mates, Kathy Watt (31st) and Tracey Watson (32nd) were also int he thick of it at the finish, while Western Australia's Lyn Nixon was more than 9 minutes down in 60th place after she needed a new front wheel during the race.
[Bill notes that the sprint bunch must have been 59 or less for Nixon to get 60th place at 9 minutes!!]
Logan said "The Canadians coach came up to me at the race and said he couldn't believe how well the Australians area riding. We had a very good training camp at altitude and all the riders are now healthy."
While he is impressed with his rider's form and fitness, Logan said a major task for the next month before the Olympics would be to develop team tactics and harmony in the final squad of three. The Australian Olympic Committee is expected to announce early next week which of the four will miss out.
[Bill's tip: Nixon out. She is only there because she upstaged the field at the Nationals in Sydney during April. And on the individual pursuit to and fro, my bet is on Watt to ride and Tyler-Sharman to ride the points race only. ]