Kim Wells too quick for favourite Melissa Hoskins in stage one of Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic

UNHERALDED Canberran Kim Wells has upstaged defending champion Melissa Hoskins to win stage one of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic Series.

AUSTRALIA'S summer of cycling started off with a massive boilover as unheralded Canberran Kim Wells upstaged defending champion Melissa Hoskins to win stage one of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic Series in Geelong.

The stage at Eastern Beach is always hectic and it proved to be the case again this evening with a number of crashes along the "hotdog" circuit.

Not even the winner, Wells, could escape the carnage. She put her ankle through a barrier in the lap after the first intermediate sprint, but recovered in time to shock a dominant Orica-AIS team choc full of professional riders.

The stage was set up for Hoskins as she led the charge off the final corner, but Specialized Securitor's Wells was not to be denied, powering past her Western Australian rival to win by about half a bike length.

Three-time bay crits champion Rochelle Gilmore of Wiggle Honda was third.

Wells let out a scream of excitement as she crossed the line and said after the race the calibre of the opposition made her win all the more special.

"Coming in to today I was pretty nervous because it's a real step up, racing these Mitchelton Bay Crits," Wells said.

"If you think about it too much it can be a bit off-putting because you sort of feel a bit of that imposter syndrome about racing against these internationally known riders.

"I was able to the (Orica) Green Edge girls to my advantage because, let's face it, they're a really strong team.

"But I still had my girls out there just attacking and attacking on the front and we might even be in contention for the sprinters jersey as well as a team, so it's pretty exciting for us."

Wells was showing the scars of her crash afterwards, which occured 20 minutes in to the 45-minute race.

"It was on the first corner where a fair number of the peloton came down and they had to neutralise the race," she said.

"I put my leg through the fence, it wasn't very pleasant. But most of the girls kept it upright which is pretty good because in a hotdog they're very aggressive through the corners.

"I've taken a bit of skin off and it's bleeding, but a bit of ice might fix that up."

Wells' Specialized Securitor teammate Kate Finegan won one of the day's two intermediate sprints, Orica-AIS rider Loes Gunnewijk won the other.

New Zealander Sophie Williamson of Total Rush/Hyster Racing was taken to hospital after falling in a sprint to the finish line.

MITCHELTON BAY CYCLING CLASSIC

Women's stage one, Eastern Beach, Geelong

1. Kim Wells (ACT) Specialized Securitor

2. Melissa Hoskins (WA) Orica-AIS

3. Rochelle Gilmore (NSW) Wiggle Honda

4. Kate Finegan (VIC) Specialized Securitor

5. Nicole Whitburn (VIC) LIV/Giant