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National Road Cycling Championships - NE
Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, QLD, September 9-15, 2002
Results Event program and results
Elite Women's Road Race
Jenny's Got Some Gun
By Anthony Tan, Cyclingnews correspondent in Yandina
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On sun-soaked day, defending champion Jennifer Manefield pulled off her finest win this year by winning the women's elite road championship title for the second year in succession.
The women's elite field got underway under perfect racing conditions, quite a change from the threatening skies that characterised much of the racing during the former half of the week.
With most of the big hitters still in Europe or racing in the US, the race was not able to be controlled or dominated by riders from any one club. Nor was it particularly aggressive: on the main climb of the day, a 14 percent, 550 metre ascension, opportunist attempts were half-hearted, and there was a strong sense that the field had resigned themselves to a bunch gallop well before the race was over.
With three laps to go, Christine Riakos (St George CC) gave the peloton its biggest shakeup of the day. A gaggle of fresh legs in the dwindled-down group of 20 or so riders had no problems keeping her attack at bay, and a regrouping shortly after the descent became a formality.
On the final lap, the blonde-haired Riakos went again, but as she explained at the race's end, it was more a personal strategy to kept up with the lead group at the end rather than an attempt to go solo:
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"I didn't expect to get away on the hills - I just rode tempo in the front of the bunch to stay with the group - it was just a bonus that I didn't have to chase back on."
Whatever the case, the speed was enough for newly-crowned time trial champ Natalie Bates (Paramatta CC) to tail off the back. However Nat's got some serious grinta, and toughed it out to get back onto the front group of 10 within a few kilometres.
With a short finishing straight, it became a not-so squeezy task of positioning oneself in the first three riders coming into the final three corners. Defending champion Jennifer Manefield unleashed her fast twitch fibres with 70 metres to go, and had the firepower to take it all the way to the line - claiming her second successive national road title in as many years.
Post race comments
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Jennifer Manefield (Paramatta CC), 1st:
"It wasn't that aggressive today - the hill really sorted it out. No one was willing to do much in between. They all knew that the hill was so hard that if anyone did get away on the flat section, it'd be hard to keep going over that hill - plus there was a cross-headwind coming back.
"For the first six laps, I was just hanging in there, thinking: 'I'm not gonna make this [the finish], this is it, this is it' - but you can't go fast up that hill, so I managed to hang on.
"I knew it was going to be a race of attrition, so I just hoped I could hang in there and not have too many people to contend with in the sprint! For me, it was just sit in, sit in, sit in. I knew that everytime I went I little harder I would be losing a bit in the sprint, so I was always trying to conserve myself.
"And it worked - for the second time; I can't believe it! I'm so happy!"
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Christine Riakos (St George CC), 2nd:
"I was always trying to get away with one to go, but I anticipated the race to be alot harder. I said to the Queensland girl that 'three laps to go would be too early, but if you put the hammer down on the final lap, I'll go with you.'
"I knew I was in the right position coming into the final corner, but I just couldn't hold it off - Jennifer is a really good sprinter. I actually thought I had it, but then I saw her come round at the last second and thought: 'nooooo!' - but you get that - it's all part of racing, isn't it?
"I'm happy - I came third last year, so I went one better - next year maybe!"
Photography
Photos by Tom Balks
- The women's peloton began riding under dark clouds. The heat soon disappated any chance of rain, and the skies soon cleared, revealing a beautiful day
- The women's peloton all together on the main climb of the day, which turned out to be an indifferent scenario for each and every subsequent ascent
- Elizabeth Williams (Carnegie Caulfield CC) struggles to regain her momentum after an untimely puncture
- Erin Philp (Nowra Velo Club) knew that to be a contender, she had to stay with the front group on the second climb
- Christine Riakos (St George CC) watches the wheel of her main adversary, Jennifer Manefield (Paramatta CC), but just couldn't come round the petite pocket-rocket in the final dash to the line
- Defending champion Jennifer Manefield (Paramatta CC) did only what was necessary to stay with the lead group, but no more than that
Results
1 Jennifer Manefield (NSW) Parramatta CC 3.07.13 2 Christine Riakos (NSW) St George CC 3 Helen Kelly (VIC) Carnegie Caulfield CC 4 Lorian Graham (QLD) Astra CC 5 Jessica Ridder (NSW) Bathurst CC 6 Claire Baxter (VIC) Hawthorn CC 7 Amy Safe (SA) Norwood CC 8 Natasha Harrigan (NSW) St George CC 9 Natalie Bates (NSW) Parramatta CC 10 Zoe Southwell (NSW) Parramatta CC 11 Jennifer Finlay (QLD) Victor Cycle 12 Louise Yaxley (TAS) City of Burnie CC 13 Erin Philp (NSW) Nowra Velo Club 14 Oenone Wood (ACT) Canberra CC 15 Bronwyn Wiseman (ACT) Canberra CC 16 Kate Morphett (NSW) Illawarra CC 17 Leonie Aisbett (NSW) Parramatta CC 18 Melissa Vandewater (QLD) CATS 19 Elizabeth Georgouras (NSW) Bicisport 20 Fiona Hedgecoe (ACT) Canberra CC DNF Elizabeth Hickey (ACT) Canberra CC DNF Toireasa Ryan (NSW) Bathurst CC DNF Nicole Carter (QLD) Sunshine Coast CC DNF Rhonda Clelland (QLD) Hamilton Pine Rivers DNF Sasha Harvey (QLD) Townsville CC DNF Anna Jones-Perrin (QLD) Hamilton Pine Rivers DNF Sonya Keay (QLD) Hamilton Pine Rivers DNF Tania Shipton (QLD) Hamilton Pine Rivers DNF Nicole Tasker (QLD) Broncos CC DNF Emily Williams (TAS) Launceston City CC DNF Loretta Mabin (VIC) Leongatha DNF Emma Rickards (VIC) Carnegie Caulfield CC DNF Elizabeth Williams (VIC) Carnegie Caulfield CC DNF Kerry Cohen (WA) Northen Districts CC
