As with the New Zealand women’s road race won by Rushlee Buchanan for a historic fourth time, Queensland’s Katrin Garfoot (Orica-Scott) also made history this weekend by becoming the first woman in eight years to earn the time trial and road race double at the Australian road national championships in Buninyong, Victoria.
Garfoot outsprinted Orica teammate and defending champion Amanda Spratt, 29, in the final 50m of the 102km road race to claim the elite women’s victory on Sunday after winning her second straight time trial title three days earlier.
Garfoot’s 23-year-old teammate Jessica Allen, who won the women’s criterium on Wednesday, kicked things off with the first attack of the race on the climb of the second lap. But it was the counterattack of teammate Jenelle Crooks, along with Shara Gillow and Ellen Skerritt that really started to shape the race. The trio rode out to a three and a half minute advantage before a chase group of seven launched from the peloton and joined at the front.
After a brief stint together, Spratt launched from the group and was chased by Lucy Kennedy with Garfoot on her wheel. Once the trio joined together, the 35-year-old Olympian was part of a two-rider break in the final two and a half laps with Spratt, 29, who finished second followed by Kennedy, 28, in third.
“It feels great. I’ve wanted to be here for a few years and I finally made it,” said the German-born Garfoot after equaling yet another Queenslander Carla Ryan, who was the last women’s rider to win the time trial and road race crown in the same year.
“It feels definitely great and a double as well which was also a dream coming into it,” she continued. “It’s very special. It’s special because it’s such a rare thing to achieve this.”
South Australia’s Alexandra Manly (Orica-Scott), 20, also recorded the double after adding the under-23 road race to her U23 time trial title from Thursday.
Top 10
- 1. Katrin GARFOOT, 2:57:50
- 2. Amanda SPRATT, +0:00
- 3. Lucy KENNEDY, +1:27
- 4. Shannon MALSEED, +3:00
- 5. Shara GILLOW, +3:00
- 6. Jenelle CROOKS, +3:00
- 7. Ruth CORSET, +3:00
- 8. Carlee TAYLOR, +3:00
- 9. Tiffany CROMWELL, +6:34
- 10. Rebecca WIASAK, +6:34
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