Gilmore and Goss take 2011 Jayco Bay Series Titles

 

Rochelle Gilmore defended her title and Matthew Goss joined an illustrious list of riders on the winners’ honour roll after the 2011 Jayco Bay Classic series decider in Williamstown today.

 

Whilst Gilmore’s win was straightforward following her series dominance, the win of Goss was hard fought, winning the stage by virtue of a sprint of the highest quality.

 

World championships bronze medallist Allan Davis and world under 23 road champion Michael Matthews finished second and third on the stage, with Matthews, who held the overnight lead, denied the chance to become the youngest ever winning of the series - by less than the width a wheel.

 

Gilmore was a virtual certainty to win the series after already claiming two of the three stages on offer before the final outing on the 900m circuit.  She only needed a top ten finish, however it was still a surprise to see veteran German Judith Arndt out sprint the Commonwealth Games champion for the stage victory.

 

Still, Gilmore’s second place was more than enough to secure the series win, her third overall after prevailing in 2002 and 2010.  She now joins Oenone Wood (2004/2005) Anna Wilson (1998/1999) and Kathy Watt (1994/1995) as back-to-back series winners.

 

Gilmore’s Honda team produced a clean sweep of the classifications, including the leading team withTiffany Cromwell taking the sprint jersey.

 

Goss shows plenty of dash to take a thriller

 

With the four possible winners of the men’s series reduced to three with Sky's Greg Hendersonreturning to New Zealand for the national championships, overnight leader Michael Matthews(Urban Hotels) and the E3-Pure Tasmania duo of Matthew Goss and Bernie Sulzberger were left to fight for the series title.

 

The field remained together at the first sprint with Tour de France Stage winner Simon Gerrans(Team Sky) taking the major points ahead of Mark Renshaw (O2 Networks) to extend his lead but not yet secure the sprint king crown.

 

That pair enjoyed a small gap of nine seconds for eight laps ahead of the second sprint however the field came back together before another attack from Sky, this time from defending champion Chris Sutton who took the second sprint.

 

Lowe Farms David Pell joined Sutton in the lead with Mark Renshaw chasing as the agitated peloton scrambling to keep in touch.  Renshaw bridged across and the three leaders had a 16 second gap at its peek before being reduced to six seconds at the third sprint.

 

With the lead trio away of Sutton, Pell and Renshaw hanging onto a lead and taking the last points on offer, Gerrans was confirmed as the sprint winner.

 

From there, with 15 minutes remaining, the field came back together with the series title aspirants Matthews, Goss and Sulzberger content to remain towards the front.

 

Final attacks from Sky’s Ben Swift and Lowe Farms Baden Cooke came to nothing as the peloton re-assembled for the sprint home.

 

As they rounded the last corner with less than 300m to the finish Goss had outsmarted the field to lead the way and he was never headed.  A win in the stage, would guarantee Goss the title on a count back from world under 23 champion, Matthews and win it he did.  His two stage wins and top ten placings in the other two stages giving him the overall crown for the first time in his career.

 

Allan Davis (Bikebug.com) joined in the party to finish second ahead of Matthews.  Goss’s teammate Bernie Sulzberger finished fifth to secure third spot on the overall standings and their E3-Pure Tasmania outfit an emphatic teams’ win overall.

 

“It’s a great start, it’s great for the confidence and it’s a great way to start a new year to come,” Goss said after claiming the series win.

 

“Bernie took from three quarters of a lap to go to pretty much the last corner, I let him have a little gap so I had something to ran at out of the last corner and you’re never really confident until you cross the line.”

 

Against the might of the world tour teams of Sky and Garmin, the E3-Pure Tasmania line up dominated the event. “I picked these guys the’re good friends and great bike riders. It was no surprise that we worked so well together. We got three stage wins and the overall and the teams so we can’t complain,” Goss added.

 

Matthews enjoyed a trail behind Urban Hotels teammate Graeme Brown and did his best to become the youngest ever winner of the series, but was simply out sprinted by a faster rider.

 

“My team did everything for me and tried to bring every break back but I had to chase a fair few which took a lot out of me for the sprint. Gossy had an awesome sprint and I just couldn’t beat him.”

 

Arndt reminds all of her talents as Gilmore takes series win

 

All eyes in the 45 minute women's final stage were on Rochelle Gilmore who held a commanding 12 point lead in the overall title race.  With wins on the opening day in Eastern Beach and stage three on Ritchie Boulevard, Gilmore only needed to stay upright and finish in the top ten in Williamstown to defend her series title.

 

Unlike each of the previous stages, the early breaks were nullified with Honda, Prime Estate and Virgin Blue all sending riders up the road on unsuccessful attacks.

 

The peloton remained together for the first of two intermediate sprints.  Honda's Peta Mullins held the sprint jersey lead and was well positioned on the final turn but it was her Honda teammateTiffany Cromwell who dashed clear ahead of Mullins to tie the standings with one sprint remaining.

 

Approaching the half hour mark and with the bunch still together, a successful break finally formed, albeit with just two riders, Honda's Melissa Hoskins and Virgin Blue's Emma Mackie. Alas that lasted just two laps but the pace did increase ahead of the second sprint.

 

Mullin's was in the middle of the pack with a lap to the sprint finish, and in the end it was a tame affair with Kirsty Broun (Virgin Blue) rolling off the front ahead of Cromwell, who secured the sprint crown as a result.  As that happened a small split occurred with Broun, Cromwell, Jayco-AIS riderLauren Kitchen and Vetta Pasta’s Katherine O'Shea getting eight seconds before Honda’s Megan Dunn worked at the front to bring it back together.

 

And that is how it remained until the last lap when Melbourne-based German Judith Arndt caused a boil over by just edging out Gilmore for the stage win.  Arndt won the world road title in 2004 just two weeks after winning the Olympic silver medal in Athens so is well credentialed and will be hard to beat in the national road titles in Ballarat on Sunday.

 

“I can’t sprint I was just the first through the last corner and it’s not far to the finish.  She (Gilmore) was much faster than I was, it (the finishing straight) was just too short,” Arndt said.

 

Gilmore’s second place in the stage easily secured the series win ahead of Chloe Hosking(TDT/Race/Bikeforce) in third. Arndt moving to second ahead of 2009 winner Kirsty Broun in third place in the overall title race.

 

“It’s been a fantastic week and to come second to Judith Arndt is nothing to complain about,”
said Gilmore who will now turn her attention to tomorrow’s national criterium race in Ballarat.

 

“I don’t want to stop here though, I love this series and I’m already thinking about next year.”

 

Chelsea and Peninsula Cycling Club rider Steele Van Hoff took out the support race series after finishing third in the final stage.

 

The final race was dominated by the brave solo breakaway from Paul van der Ploeg, who took off at the halfway point of the 45 minute stage.

 

With a 35 seconds with five laps to go, the mountain bike rider from Mt Beauty secured the win and leapt to second on the standings.   Nathan Earle finished second in the stage and third overall in the series.

 

Results for Day Four (Final Day) of the 2011 Jayco Bay Classic

Willamstown Foreshore (900m per lap) – Tuesday 4 January 2011

 

ELITE MEN

Stage Four Results

1.             Matthew Goss (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                                   12

2.             Allan Davis (Bikebug.com)                                                                                  10

3.             Michael Matthews (Urban)                                                                                  8

4.             Chris Sutton (Team Sky)                                                                                        7

5.             Bernie Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                              6

6.             Leigh Howard (Jayco VIS)                                                                                      5

7.             Tom Scully (Garmin Cervelo)                                                                               4

8.             Jonathon Cantwell (Lowe Farms/Boomaroo Nurseries)                                  3

9.             Nick Walker (Fly V Australia)                                                                                2

10.          Matt Hayman (Team Sky)                                                                                      1           

 

Jayco General Classification – FINAL after Stage Four

1.             Matthew Goss (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                                   33

2.             Michael Matthews (Urban)                                                                                31

3.             Bernie Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                            25

4.             Allan Davis (Bikebug.com)                                                                                  24

5.             Chris Sutton (Team Sky)                                                                                      21

6.             Greg Henderson (Team Sky)                                                                              16

7.             Leigh Howard (Jayco VIS)                                                                                    14

8.             Wesley Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                           13

9.             Simon Gerrans (Team Sky)                                                                                 10

10.          Baden Cooke (Lowe Farms/Boomaroo Nurseries)                                           9

11.          Joe Lewis (Urban)                                                                                                  8

12.          Graeme Brown (Urban)                                                                                        7

13.          Mark Renshaw (O2 Networks)                                                                             6

14.          Tom Scully (Garmin Cervelo)                                                                               4

15.          Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers)                                                          4

16.          Jonathon Cantwell (Lowe Farms/Boomaroo Nurseries)                                  4

17.          Nick Walker (Fly V Australia)                                                                                2

18.          Matt Hayman (Team Sky)                                                                                      1           

                          

Blood Hyundai Sprint Ace – FINAL after Stage Four

1.             Simon Gerrans (Team Sky)                                                                                 14

2.             Graeme Brown (Urban)                                                                                      11

3.             Michael Matthews (Urban)                                                                                  6

4.             Wesley Sulzberger (E3/Pure Tasmania)                                                             6

 

Teams Classification – FINAL after Stage Four

1.             E3/Pure Tasmania                          &