Mitchelton-Scott rider Amanda Spratt wins third Australian road cycling title
Amanda Spratt has kicked off a year she hopes will deliver her Olympic glory with a big win at the Australian road cycling championships,
Penrith
Don't miss out on the headlines from Penrith. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- From second bike to Olympic quest
- Triple treat for Aussie cyclist
- Heavy metal helping Thomas shoot for success
As omens go, it's a pretty good one.
Amanda Spratt has started the year she hopes will end with her first Olympic gold round her neck with her third success at the Australian road cycling championships.
The Penrith cycling club rider from Springwood heaped praise on her teammates after winning the Australian road race crown in Ballarat.
FUTURE PLANS: Wanderers player and his love for the game
SYD-HOBART: Former rugby player bitten by new bug
“It’s just as special, if not more special (the third time around). I owe my team this one, they rode incredibly well, you saw how much work Grace Brown did in that break,’’ said Mitchelton Scott rider.
“It’s unusual for us, but I did come in here as the sole leader. That comes with a lot of pressure but I’m just so grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity and that I could pull it off for them.’’
Spratt, 32, managed to outsprint Justine Barrow at the end of a course involving nine laps of a 11.6km with her teammate Brown rewarded for her efforts with the final place on the podium.
The victory is also a morale boost for the champion cyclist who is also chasing a fourth win overall in the annual Women’s Tour Down Under in Adelaide.
A recent spate of top form and a course which suits her riding strengths has Spratt already earmarked as one of the favourites for success in the women’s road race at the Tokyo Olympics.
No Australian has won the gold medal in the road race since Queenslander Sara Carrigan back in 2004 at the Athens Games.