Australian Junior and Teams Road Championships - NE

Sunshine Coast, Australia, September 2-September 10, 2006

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Race 8 - September 9: Women’s GP Series Road Race

Surprise result in women's grand prix event

By John Flynn

The 91 kilometre Women's National Grand Prix Series event produced the most unlikely of results, from a rank underdog.

North Queensland cyclist Ruth Corset who hails from the Tropical city of Townsville, might have though herself a complete outsider in a field boasting the likes of Sky-Lee Armstrong and Rochelle Gilmore, not to mention talent identification cyclists from the Queensland Academy of Sport.

But as the race unfolded the twenty-nine year old mother of two and cycling rookie, just kept holding on.

Corset was in a group of four cyclists, including Queensland Champion Carly Hibberd, QAS cyclist Carla Ryan and the A.C.T.'s Vicki Eustace, who purposefully shook the super-sprinter Gilmore on the steep pinch climb. The Townsville cyclist taking advantage of her "unknown" status, to take the sprint from Hibberd.

"This is a dream come true, I never thought that I could do it," a teary Corset told Cyclingnews at race end. "I had no idea, because this is my first race with women. In Townsville, I race with men."

A disappointed Hibberd, who was hoping to back up with another win following her recent Queensland Championship victory, was left to ponder what went wrong in the sprint.

"I knew I wanted to be about third wheel coming into the sprint," Hibberd said. "Just came down to her (Corset) being a bit strong and I couldn't get over her."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Gareth Coco/www.stand2surf.net/gallery/2006/aust_road

Carly Hibberd shifts gear on the climb.
Jessica Berry from Victoria.
Rochelle Gilmore leads eventual winner Ruth Corset.
The spectators watch the Elite Women start the climb.
Speeding through the scenic Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Ruth Corset fuels up on the way to victory.
Crossing the start-finish line for another lap.

Results

1 Ruth Corset (Qld)      2.39.43
2 Carly Hibberd (Qld)           
3 Carla Ryan (Qld)              
4 Vicki Eustace (Act)           
5 Kate Warren (Tas)             
6 Kate Charge (NSW)         4.43
7 Briana James (Vic)            
8 Shara Gillow (Qld)        7.16
DNF Skye-Lee Armstrong (Nsw)    
DNF Jessica Berry (Vic)         
DNF Kate Depaoli (Tas)          
DNF Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)      
DNF Amber Jenkins (NSW)         
DNF Louise Kerr (Qld)           
DNF Angeline Papajcsik (Qld)