Ballarat, Victoria, Australia – New Team TIBCO rider Ruth Corset has won the Australian National Road Race Championship. On a day that saw temperatures reach 34ºC (93ºF), Corset put in a well-timed counterattack of a move by new teammate Emma Mackie on the second to last lap to bridge up to the duo of Judith Arndt and Rachel Neylan.
The trio was joined by Bridie O’Donnell on the final lap. The four riders were together until the penultimate climb, when Corset again put in a blistering attack to leave the other three riders behind. Corset soloed the final 10 km, with O’Donnell in hot pursuit, but the 32-year-old mother of two daughters held on for a 0:20 victory and her first national road title in three attempts. In 2009, Corset took the silver medal at nationals; this year she was a pre-race favorite.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Corset said less than an hour after the race had ended and she had received her national champion’s jersey. “Emma and I had put together the plan for her to attack and me to counter, and it just worked out the way. Even though there was just the two of us, it turned out to be a good team race.”
The race started out aggressively, and on the second lap, former world champion Arndt powered off the front of the bunch and opened a gap of over two minutes on the bunch.
“When Judith attacked there wasn’t too much response from the bunch,” Corset said. But as the race progressed, the pace increased and a 13-rider chase group including Corset and Mackie formed in pursuit of Arndt. With just over three laps remaining, Neylan attacked the chase group and jumped across the gap to Arndt.
“When Rachel went across there wasn’t a big reaction either,” Corset said. But as the final two laps approached, the time came for anyone who wanted a solid crack at the jersey to make a move.
“Emma put in a great attack that put me in perfect position to counter and bridge up to Judith and Rachel,” Corset said. “I was really struggling the last few laps with the heat. But on the last lap, I just put my head down and went for it.”
She didn’t let off the gas until she had cross the finish line alone, a national champion.
About Team TIBCO
Team TIBCO is a Silicon Valley-based professional women’s cycling team. In 2009, Team TIBCO won the USA Cycling NRC team title, the Women’s Professional Cycling Series team title and was named VeloNews 2009 Women’s Team of the Year. The team is focused on finding and developing athletes for major international competitions, including the World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. The team also emphasizes joy in sport, fair play and dedication to living healthy.
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