‘Stupid mistake’: Bizarre victory for Aussie champion as rival celebrates too early

Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon has been gifted her first WorldTour triumph, winning the final stage of the Tour of Britain after a rival threw away the chance of victory by celebrating too early in a bizarre finish.

Roseman-Gannon, the 25-year-old Melbourne star who won both the criterium and road race titles at the national championships, pounced when Luxembourg’s Christine Majerus sat up just before the line at the race finish in Leigh on Sunday (Monday AEST), raising her arm in triumph believing she had won.

Christine Majerus’ early celebration proves costly as Australian Ruby Roseman-Gannon (in yellow and white) pips her on the line.Credit: X

But it was a calamitous miscalculation as Roseman-Gannon, the spearhead of the Liv AlUla Jayco team, stormed through in the wet conditions to pip her rival to victory by less than half a wheel.

“I still can’t believe I have won that – it’s my first European win and I’m still in shock,” said Roseman-Gannon, who had to check afterwards with her opponents and officials to find out if she had prevailed.

“It’s when you really don’t expect it, some races you come in as a leader and you have a lot of pressure, and other races you come in and it all works out.

“Today, I was pretty worried about the rain and I was nervous about crashing and I wasn’t really in the right mindset that I was going to win the race – but to win is amazing. Overall, it was a great race!”

Ruby Roseman-Gannon won stage four of the Tour of Britain by less than half a wheel.Credit: X

The fourth stage proved a bit of an embarrassment to the all-conquering SD Worx-ProTime team as its overall race winner, Lotte Kopecky, tried to “gift” victory to teammate Majerus.

With Belgian world champion Kopecky’s overall triumph secured, she eased up with 250 metres left to let Majerus win the day, but the miscalculation let in the Australian.

Ruby Roseman-Gannon celebrates on the podium in Manchester as a stage winner.Credit: Getty

Kopecky crossed in fourth place but had done enough to clinch the title, finishing 17 seconds clear in the general classification. Briton Anna Henderson finished second. Roseman-Gannon finished ninth overall as the leading Australian, two minutes, 50 seconds behind.

“We made this deal that she is going to win today but maybe it was a stupid mistake,” Kopecky said.

“I still, however, would have done the same. It could have been a nice ending for Christine, but we finished well as a team.

“Maybe it is a little funny and it is what it is, and I’m not disappointed.”

AAP

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