Honda get wiggle on
Edmondson sprints to criterium glory
WIGGLE-HONDA flexed its muscle ahead of tomorrow’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with Annette Edmondson claiming yesterday’s Race Melbourne at Albert Park.
The 26-year-old Australian cyclist timed her sprint to perfection, holding out Italian star Georgia Bronzini (Cylance) and American Kendall Ryan (Tibco) in a bunch sprint at the end of the 63.6-kilometre criterium.
Edmondson threw her bike at the line to hold off Bronzini, but initially no one knew who had prevailed in the tight finish.
“Sometimes they’ve come off well and sometimes they haven’t, so I didn’t have the confidence to salute,” Edmondson said.
“I saw Bronzini coming up under my arm and I thought ‘oh my God, I’ve got to try a little bit more’.
“It was all down to the throw, for sure. If I hadn’t done that, she would have gotten me.”
Edmonson is enjoying her best start to a road season, showing that her health scare of late last year is ancient history.
Yesterday’s win follows her stage-one win at the women’s Tour Down Under in Adelaide earlier this month.
Edmondson is also buoyant about her selection chances on the track for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The 26-year-old WiggleHonda rider is an Olympian and a world champion on the track, as well as boasting strong road credentials.
But she had to cut her road season short last year and return to Australia because of thyroid problems.
“I had a bit of a rough end to 2017 ... that’s been a blessing in disguise, because it really motivated me to put down the road kilometres and train really hard,” she said.
“(I’ve also) really stepped back up into the track program, because I was on the outside of making the (Commonwealth Games) team.
“I’m really happy to finally feel good and get a couple of wins.” Edmondson expects to find out in the next few days whether she has made the cut for April’s Commonwealth Games.
MEANWHILE, Irish speedster Sam Bennett claimed a thrilling bunch sprint to claim back-to-back victories in the men’s 116.6km race.
After being highlighted by Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Jay McCarthy as a rider to watch in Sunday’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Bennett showed his quality around Albert Park to defend his 2017 Race Melbourne title.
Olympic gold medallist Elia Viviani finished second, while Australian Steele von Hoff put in a huge ride to finish third.