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                                2006 titles :  Criterium   Time Trial     Road Race

Rhodes defends 2006 title with 2007 Championship win

Champion goes early to avoid sprint

Alexis Rhodes successfully defended her National Criterium title in a powerful display at South Bank on Sunday morning in searing heat from Belinda Goss and World Cup gold medallist Katherine Bates.  

An early break away by Ruth Corset and Tiffany Cromwell proved disastrous – the pair colliding on the corner leading into the straight, forcing a compulsory lap out bringing the field back together at the half way mark of the 30 minutes plus 3 lap race.  

Lorian Graham returned to elite racing for the first time since the accident in Germany and featured among the breakaways in the early stages, eventually finishing in the bunch and beating half the field home.  

“It was everything I thought it would be returning to racing, I just feel like I’ve already got my gold medal,” Graham said after the event.  

“The pain I felt out there today is nothing compared to what I’ve been through,” she added.  

With three laps to go the pace escalated and so had the temperature, as the girls went through for the bell lap the field was strung out in a peloton along the back straight.  

Rounding the final turn into the home straight, Rhodes exploded out of the corner and showed sheer power that the field couldn’t match crossing the line with one finger raised in a salute.  

“I made the break at the top of the straight because I knew I’d be no good in a sprint,” said Rhodes .  

“I knew the QAS girls would be working together and when it didn’t eventuate early on I new it would happen at the back end of the race,” said Rhodes .  

Rhodes further added, “It was just so good to see Lorian back out there racing today.”  

Katherine Bates just didn’t have the legs to left at the end finished third behind Belinda Goss.