Englishman Ian Bibby is almost assured of winning the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic

ONLY a disaster of epic proportions will prevent Englishman Ian Bibby from winning the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic.

Ian Bibby reacts after crossing the line first. Picture: Jay Town

ONLY a disaster of epic proportions will prevent Englishman Ian Bibby from winning the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic.

If the Condor-JLT rider’s opening stage win in Geelong yesterday was owed to a slice of final lap luck, this afternoon’s second-place finish in stage two at Portarlington was all class on the part of both he and his team.

Orica-Scott gun Michael Hepburn won the stage by six seconds, but in finishing second Bibby put himself on 22 points overall, six points clear of Condor’s Mathew Gibson with only the final stage at Williamstown to play out.

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With 2014 winner Brenton Jones and three-time Olympic track cycling gold medallist Ed Clancy in support, Bibby’s grip on the title is all but secure.

But the 30-year-old said he is far from complacent.

“I wouldn’t say it’s guaranteed yet,” Bibby said.

“There’s a few people close and with Orica still on the podium (Hepburn is third overall on 12 points) anything can happen.

“It’s a really fast, tight course, Williamstown, but we’ve got a really good team who rode really well today, so hopefully they can help and we can defend it.”

Caleb Ewan’s luckless defence of his crown continued on Monday.

Ian Bibby racing in stage one of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic. Picture: Jay Town

Ewan broke away with Robbie Hucker with about 20 minutes remaining of the hour-long stage, only to be hauled in by the main pack about four laps from the end.

The Victorian finished fifth, but after his day one crash his chances of securing his fourth Bay Crits crown are now officially shot.

For Ewan’s teammate Hepburn, the stage win was his first in a Bay Classic.

“I’ve done it for four or five years now,” Hepburn said.

“The plan today was quite open. There was opportunity for a few guys to go up the road and be aggressive, but I’m thankful I had the form and the legs to go on with it.”

Bibby was the main beneficiary when Ewan slipped while leading in to the final corner of yesterday’s stage at Eastern Beach.

There was another crash in the dying stages today, with this time Jesse Kerrison — second in stage one — crashing out while in the top five on the penultimate lap.

“Everyone seems to fall off around me and I somehow avoid it,” Bibby said.

“There was a bit of luck (on Sunday), but it was nice to back it up today.”

Originally published as Englishman Ian Bibby is almost assured of winning the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic