Gracie Elvin takes out the women's elite road race

ACT rider, Gracie Elvin, won the women's elite road race at Buninyong today to claim her first national title. Gracie, riding for Orica-AIS for the first time in a road race, managed to bridge to a late-race group on the final lap before winning the sprint-race to the line.

Photo courtesy of  SBS

“It’s a dream to win the national jersey,” said a shocked Elvin. “I’m in disbelief, I am shaking", Elvin said.  

This is Gracie's second medal at the National Road Cycling Championships after winning a bronze at the criterium race on Thursday. Clearly spending the summer in Europe first with Jayco-AIS and then Team Faren Honda (Italian cycling team) assisted in building a strong base for the summer criterium series and road championships.  Elvin's win means Orica-AIS will be heading to Europe with the National Champion shirt in the big races.

How did other ACT riders fare

Jessie Maclean got into the opening breakaway, but while the break got over two minutes on the bunch, Maclean did not do any of the pace work, leaving the work for the other members of the breakaway. Macclean and Coldwell attacked with four laps to go, but could not keep up the momentum. Unfortunately Maclean could not maintain the effort and she failed to finish the race.

Kimberly Wells who has had an impressive 6 weeks struggled on the big climbs today.  She will have to re-group and come back in 2014 to claim her second national title. Wells finished in 43rd spot.

Rebecca Henderson came second in the under 23 road race, and 15th overall. Surely if Henderson wanted to turn her attention to road racing on a full time basis, she has the qualities and skills to make it to the top as well. 

Chloe Hosking did not perform as expected.  She finished well down in 42nd spot.  She came in with a group of Canberra riders including Wells and Lisa Keeling, who came in one place ahead in 41st spot.

Laura Meadley came in 34th spot over 3 and a half minutes ahead of the Canberra bunch that included Wells, Keeling and Hosking.

Tegan Elferkh (Vikings) was red flagged after 2 big and 2 small laps.  I understand that it exceeded her expectations.

ACT riders have dominated the women events at the National Road Cycling Championships taking gold in the women's elite road race, gold and bronze in the Criterium race and gold in the under 23 time trial and silver in the under 23 road race. 

Time for the ACT guys to step up?