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Jayco Bay Cycling Classic - NE
Geelong, Australia, January 2-6, 2009
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Stage 3 - January 4: Geelong - Eastern Park - Elite women
A Fry surprise
By Malcolm Sawford in Eastern Park
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Tasmanian mountain biker Rowena Fry took a surprise win on day three of the 2009 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic. It was a race marred by crashes that put defending champion Megan Dunn out of the race.
"I'm a bit shocked!" the dual Australian MTB champion said. "This is only about my third crit, I'm just here for a training block. I was waiting for people to come past me and they never did. The photo in the paper tomorrow could be pretty funny, I think I'll look pretty shocked."
The 40-minute women's race had to be drastically shortened after a serious crash involving 2008 series winner Megan Dunn (NSWIS), Kate Finegan, Gina Grain (MB Cycles) and Jenny Macpherson (G Force/Body Torque). Officials had to suspended the race for well over ten minutes while medics assessed Finegan and Dunn's injuries.
The medics took both to Geelong Hospital later; Finegan with suspected back injuries and concussion, and Dunn with a fractured collar bone. Officials don't expect either to continue in the series.
Under event rules, the race clock continued to run, and a little over 18 minutes remained when racing finally resumed. Officials also ruled that a dangerous looking break away containing Peta Mullens (Jayco VIS), Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) and Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) did not have a big enough advantage to be recreated, and started the entire bunch together. A sprint to the finish ensued, with the bunch dwindling on each lap and only 13 riders surviving to contest the final lap.
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With four laps remaining, Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) and Tiffany Cromwell (Skilled) jumped clear. It took a huge effort by Tahlia Paskin to shut things down for the MB Cycles team.
Joint points leader overall Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) was one of the casualties and acknowledged having a "super bad day." She left Broun and Josie Tomic (Plan B) battle for outright ownership of the yellow jersey. Both were surprised by Fry's acceleration at the base of the final climb.
Fry is not riding the series as part of a team, but entered as part of her return to full fitness after contracting glandular fever in 2008.
Mullens held off Broun in a photo finish for second, with Tomic back in sixth place, which gave Broun a three point buffer in the leader's jersey. Mullens was a little disappointed the shortened format hadn't allowed her to to show her strength, but promised to make amends at Portarlington. "I'm really going to hurt some legs tomorrow," she said.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- Sky-Lee Armstrong (NSWIS) leads Megan Dunn early in the race.
- Sarah Kent (Plan B) leads Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS).
- Rowena Fry (TIS) in the bunch.
- Amy Halliahan takes the first corner on the circuit in Geelong's Botanical Gardens.
- Peta Mullens (VIS) broke away on her own early in the women's race.
- Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) was race leader again on Day three.
- Broun at the front, powering up the climb, ahead of Jenny Macpherson (G Force).
- Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) tried to bridge across to Peta Mullens.
- Megan Dunn (NSWIS) hits the street furniture as Gina Grain (MB Cycles) flies into the air and Jenny Macpherson (G Force) takes avoiding action.
- Gina Grain (MB Cycles) hits the ground next to Dunn (NSWIS). Remarkably, Jenny Macpherson (G Force) managed to stay upright. Grain was unhurt, Dunn suffered a suspected broken clavicle and Kate Finegan was taken to hospital with back injuries.
- After the re-start, Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) was marked by Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) on her wheel.
- Broun (MB Cycles) leads Gilmore (NSWIS) and the bunch.
- Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) leads her team in the bunch.
- Nikki Butterfield (Skilled) tried her luck solo.
- Josie Tomic (Plan B) was quiet and sat in the bunch during race three.
- Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) corners at speed.
- Josie Tomic (Plan B) leads the bunch through the start / finish line in the closing laps.
- Peta Mullens (VIS).
- Rowena Fry (TIS) couldn't quite believe her win ahead of Mullens and Broun.
Results
1 Rowena Fry (Tasmania) 2 Peta Mullens (Jayco VIS) 3 Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) 4 Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) 5 Chloe Hoskins (Mazda) 6 Josie Tomic (Plan B) 7 Emma Mackie (Pitcher Partners) 8 Tiffany Cromwell (Skilled) 9 Lauren Kitchen (NSWIS) 10 Amy Cure (Pitcher Partners) Points Sprint 1 1 Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) 2 Gilmore (NSWIS) 3 Josie Tomic (Plan B) Sprint 2 1 Nikki Butterfield (Skilled) 2 Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) 3 Melissa Hoskins (Plan B) General classification after stage 3 1 Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) 28 pts 2 Josie Tomic (Plan B) 25 3 Peta Mullens (Jayco VIS) 22 4 Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) 20 5 Chloe Hoskins (Mazda) 19 6 Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) 18 7 Rowena Fry (Tasmania) 12 8 Emma Mackie (Pitcher Partners) 8 9 Nikki Butterfield (Skilled) 5 10 Isabella King (Urban Hotel) 4 11 Tiffany Cromwell (Skilled) 3 12 Megan Dunn (NSWIS) 3 13 Lauren Kitchen (NSWIS) 2 14 Laura McCaughey (Urban Hotel) 2 15 Amy Cure (Pitcher Partners) 1 16 Melissa Hoskins (Plan B) 1 17 Jenny Macpherson (G Force/Body Torque) 1 Points classification 1 Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) 13 pts 2 Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) 8 3 Nikki Butterfield (Skilled) 3 4 Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) 3 5 Peta Mullens (Jayco VIS) 3 6 Megan Dunn (NSWIS) 3 7 Melissa Hoskins (Plan B) 1 8 Josie Tomic (Plan B) 1 9 Lauren Kitchen (NSWIS) 1 Teams classification 1 MB Cycles 28 pts 2 Pitcher Partners 27 3 Plan B 26 4 NSWIS 25 5 Jayco VIS 22 6 Mazda 19 7 Skilled 8 8 Urban Hotel 6 9 G Force/Body Torque 1
