Joe Cooper wins 2018 Darren Smith Classic at Hinze Dam

A BOLD decision to attack on the first lap of the 122km course has paved the way for Joe Cooper to win the 2018 Darren Smith Classic at Hinze Dam.

Joe Cooper won the 2018 Darren Smith Classic. Picture credit: Adam Weathered.

A BOLD decision to attack on the first lap of the 122km course has paved the way for Joe Cooper to win the 2018 Darren Smith Classic at Hinze Dam.

The three-time New Zealand national title winner used the first of 10 climbs up the dam wall to break away from the main bunch before beating runner-up Dylan Newbery in a one-on-one battle with 5km left to claim the victory in three hours 24 minutes and 12 seconds.

“The first time we went up the dam wall I exploded to my top effort,” The Broadbeach resident said.

Joe Cooper won the 2018 Darren Smith Classic. Picture credit: Adam Weathered.

“That made the race there and that’s when me and Dylan got away. We just needed to hold on for the remaining nine laps really.

“It’s definitely the hardest way to go about doing a bike race. Usually people just wait in the wheels and produce a 10 minute effort in the end as opposed to going from the gun and then staring down the barrel for three hours.

Joe Cooper (centre), Dylan Newbery (left) and Calan White (right) on the podium in the elite division of the 2018 Darren Smith Classic. Picture credit: Adam Weathered.

“I looked at the start list and with the quality of the field I had a bit of a feeling that if I wasn’t on the front foot then I would potentially not be able to control what happens in the race itself.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS FOR $3 A WEEK

“With 5km to the finish I chucked one tester attack in and then Dylan brought that back and then I just went again and that was enough to break the back.

“I just had to muster enough strength to carry on solo to the finish over the last couple of bumps. It was a very special moment.”

Incredibly, Cooper and Newbery managed to put around extend their lead by around a minute per lap to finish nearly 10 minutes clear of third place finisher Calan White.