Australian National Road Race Championships

Spratt and Meyer take the elite honours at the Australian National Road Race Championships in Ballarat

Amanda Spratt and Cameron Meyer gave Mitchelton-SCOTT its first elite double at the Australian National Road Race Championships since 2014 when Simon Gerrans and Gracie Elvin took the honours.

Report to follow

Women’s Elite Race

Amanda Spratt claimed victory from a trio of riders split away from the bunch on the testing course around Ballarat. Spratt had the company of teammate Grace Brown as they sought to neutralise the presence of Justine Barrow (Roxsolt Attaquer).

The trio took a decisive lead on the Mt Buninyong climb which hovered between two and three minute, while back in the bunch Lucy Kenendy gave her teammates Mitchelton-Scott cover closing down rivals’ moves. It finally came down to just Barrow and Spratt on the eight and final lap with the latter using her power to pull out a lead in the finishing straight and take the green and gold jersey.

Amanda Spratt – 2020 Australian Champion:
“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.”

“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.

“Grace attacked on that climb, that was the plan to open the race up really early because we didn’t think anyone would expect that; normally there’s an early break. She was so strong and it was just me that could follow before Justine came across, she had an incredible ride too.

“After that, we knew we had a really good group and we just had to keep going.“I felt confident if it came down to a sprint. Of course I tried on the climb as well but I was very very impressed with Justine.” 

Womens Elite Results – Top 10

Full result here courtesy of procyclingstats.com

Men’s Elite Race

Cameron Meyer made it double gold for Mitchelton-Scott in Ballarat after taking the win 56″ seconds ahead of teammate Lucas Hamilton, with Marcus Culey (Team Sapura Cycling) rounding out the podium at 1’07”.

It was the 32 year old’s first win in 12 appearances and was all the more sweeter for the wait.

Cameron Meyer – 2020 Australian Champion:
“It’s been 12 long years. I fell in love with this race so long ago and I’ve been so close so many times.

“Someone asked me the other day, ‘you’ve got nine world championships why do you want this one so much?’, but my brother has won it, Luke Durbridge one of my best mates has won it, and I just wanted it so badly.

“I want to put that green and gold on and I want to take it to Europe and wear it proudly.

“As soon as the summer comes around and I land on Australian soil, this is one of the races I think about.

“I can’t thank my teammates more. I was given a lot of responsibility today with a bit of leadership and there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that, but my teammates were incredible. We were on the front foot, we always had someone out front and I had someone helping me the whole time. In the end strength in numbers won and today was my lucky day.”

The peloton was put through its paces by relentless attacking until with 30 km to go a a select group had established containing five Mitchelton Scott, a reward for their efforts covering the multitude of breaks, alongside, Hamilton, Nathan Haas (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits), Jay McCarthy (BORA – hansgrohe) and Chris Harper (Team Jumbo-Visma).

On the final climb Meyer made his move and with the break hesitating consolidated it into a unassailable lead coming off the final climb. When the Hamilton and Durbridge finally attacked it was for the lower steps on the podium, with Meyer virtually out of sight.

Mens Elite Results – Top 10

Full result here courtesy of procyclingstats.com