Australian criterium champion Chloe Hosking nails her fourth win over the new year in a race she absolutely adores
Chloe Hosking issued the peloton a stern warning and put reigning champion Santos Tour Down Under Amanda Spratt on notice.
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Australian criterium champion Chloe Hosking says there is no “sideshow” mentality, the Santos women’s Tour Down Under is a “main event” before the stage race starts for men next week.
The 29-year-old Canberra-based Rally Cycling leader barnstormed home to claim the ochre leader’s jersey – stage 1 Hahndorf-Macclesfield of the Tour Down Under in a tactically perfect race.
Just four days ago Hosking claimed the Australian criterium championship in Ballarat after recently winning two stages and the overall title at the Bay Crits in Geelong.
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Hosking also won the very first criterium at the Tour Down Under in 2011 – the first serious crack at hosting women at Australia’s biggest cycling event.
“It’s been amazing and we have to think Kimberly Conte (race director) so much for the work she has done to grow this event,’’ Hosking said.
“I am actually really proud of the Australian summer of cycling.
“We have so many fantastic races and they’re really leading the way for equality, equal prize money, live streaming and we don’t feel like a sideshow.
“This is a women’s race we feel like the main event
“I’m really proud to be part of it.”
WHAT NOW CHLOE?
Hosking said she wasn’t quite sure what the tactics would be tomorrow but she is intent on defending.
“I have to look closely at the course and for sure I will try and defend the jersey and pick up seconds in the intermediate sprints,’’ she said.
“We do have a really good climber in Krista Doebel-Hickok and if they do decide to go hard on the hills we’ll have a Rally girl up the road.”
THE CYCLING GODS KEPT THE WOMEN COOL
After a nightmare couple of months where heat and bushfires ravaged the nation, the cool overcast conditions and the apparent lack of smoke in the air was welcomed by Hosking.
She claimed her fourth Tour Down Under stage in what she described as perfect conditions.
“This is ideal cycling weather and it’s nice the Europeans haven’t come here to 42C, also for me,’’ Hosking said.
“I’ve come from Canberra, smoke has been a big issue this summer and I have had to leave twice so it’s really nice to come to Adelaide have some fresh air and feel clean.”
WHERE’S THE CHAMP AMANDA?
Amanda Spratt fresh from claiming the national road championships on the weekend was the one rival teams were keeping an eye on.
The Mitchelton-Scott three-time Santos Women’s Tour Down Under champion and rightfully wearing No. 1 finished 17th overall but that result will still make the peloton shudder.
Spratt finished her day 11 seconds behind Hosking.
Gracie Elvin from Mitchelton-Scott won the first intermediate sprint at Strathalbyn Road on a cool windy day in the Adelaide Hills.
STUCK IN DUBAI AND JET LAGGED
Three of the riders from the FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope French team were stuck in Dubai for four days after missing a direct flight to Adelaide.
They arrived in Adelaide less than 13 hours before the race pedalled off from Hahndorf on Thursday morning.
French national road champion Jade Wiel was one of the team caught in Dubai without a bike.
“It's all new to me, coming to Australia for the first time and starting the season in January,’’ she said.
“Coming from France, we've been stuck in Dubai without our bikes for four days after missing a flight.
“So we haven't had the best lead up to the race.
“I trained well in Europe, though.
“I hope to try and win a stage.”
Ziptrak Stage 1
Start: 10am at Hahndorf
Finish: about 1:26pm at Macclesfield
Distance: 116.3km
Conditions: 21C, windy and cloudy
JERSEYS
Overall leader: Ochre jersey: Chloe Hosking (Rally Cycling)
UniSA – Best young rider: Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb)
Wilson Parking Best Team: Team Sunweb
Subaru Queen of the mountain: Marieke van Witzenburg (Doltcini van Eyck Sport)
Ziptrak Sprint jersey: Chloe Hosking (Rally Cycling)
Originally published as Australian criterium champion Chloe Hosking nails her fourth win over the new year in a race she absolutely adores