Thanks to its early placing in the pro calendar, Australia’s Tour Down Under is a fantastic staging ground for teams to show off the results of winter training.
The women’s event consists of four stages, kicking off on Saturday and finishing on Tuesday – and top ranked UCI women’s team Wiggle High5 seem to be cleaning up well on the podium. The black and orange army currently sit in top position on the team standings, though it’s Katrin Garfoot of Orica-AIS in first on the general classification.
Garfoot took the win on day one, a 95km race over multiple rolling laps. There were several breaks for freedom, but it was Garfoot, Shelley Olds (Clyance Cycling), Dani King (Wiggle High5) and Lauren Kitchen (Hitec Products) who managed to build up a dominant lead. In the end, Olds clinched second and King took third, also earning herself the polka-dot mountains jersey – great news since when we last spoke she said climbing was a target for winter training!
Today’s 40 minute city centre criterium was something completely different – but an even better performance from Wiggle High5 with Nettie Edmondson and Chloe Hosking achieving an impressive 1-2 victory.
Held in Rymill Park, in downtown Adelaide, South Australia, this was a home win for Double Track World Champion Edmondson, who has previously come third at least twice in the same event. She said: “I’ve had quite a few thirds here, and I’ve actually finished third to Chloe and Rochelle [Gilmore, Wiggle High5 Procycling Team Owner and Manager] here so it’s pretty cool to have them on my side this time and the Wiggle High5 girls who backed me today. I really wanted to get this one with a home crowd in my home city.”
A tactical finish payed off well, as Edmondson explained: “The Orica-AIS girls hit us early in the back corner, they took it really wide and really fast, so Chloe, my lead out girl, led me out on the back straight. I just had to slip off her back wheel. For her to hold on for second is pretty incredible!”
The top ten in the general classification are:
| Time/Gap | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Katrin GARFOOT (OGE) | 3h03:30 | ||||
| 2. | Lauren KITCHEN (HPU) | +0 | ||||
| 3. | Shelley OLDS (CPC) | +0 | ||||
| 4. | Danielle KING (WHT) | +0 | ||||
| 5. | Tiffany CROMWELL (SAS) | +9 | ||||
| 6. | Annette EDMONDSON (WHT) | +47 | ||||
| 7. | Lizzie WILLIAMS (OGE) | +47 | ||||
| 8. | Kimberley WELLS (HFD) | +47 | ||||
| 9. | Emily COLLINS (NZL) | +47 | ||||
| 10. | Chloe HOSKING (WHT) | +47 |
