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Jayco Bay Series Classics

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Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) found her way through the bunch thanks to the support of team mate Gina Grain who took Broun through the bunch so she was clear to kick for the win ahead of Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) and Josie Tomic (Plan B).

As a result of the top three finish, the three riders were tied on 20 points overall for the series. On count back Broun was awarded the yellow jersey ahead of Tomic and Gilmore.  

The undulating circuit was very different from race 1 and was an almost smooth loop it made it very difficult for any break to get away. After 12 minutes of racing the NSWIS team were on the front driving the pace with Ashlee Ankudinoff. She was closely watched by Peta Mullens (Jayco VIS) and Jenny McPherson (G Force/Body Torque). 

Sarah Kent (Plan B) moved to the front and at only 18 years of age, she showed grit and determination as she picked up the pace and strung the bunch out. Kent spent much of the time on the front over the next couple of laps. With 15 minutes of racing completed the first sprint was won by Gilmore ahead of Broun and Megan Dunn (NSWIS), the 2008 winner of the over all event.  

Kent attacked straight after the sprint and gave the bunch little time to recover. A small group of four formed with Kent including Myfanwy Galloway (Mazda), Rachel Heal (Degani/CBD Cycles) and Sky-lee Armstrong (NSWIS). They did not last for long as the teams of Broun and Belinda Goss (Pitcher Partners) worked hard to pull them back.  

As the race approached six laps to go a Goss created a split in the bunch. It was covered by Dunn and Lauren Kitchen from NSWIS and Tiffany Cromwell (Skilled). The four riders managed to generate a small gap on the rest of the field and maintained the lead to the second of the sprints. Goss used her experience ahead of the two youngsters Dunn and Kitchen. The pace eased and the race came back together. Kent moved again to the front, Cromwell covered the move with Melissa Hoskins (Plan B). At the bell Kent was still on the front keeping the pace high.  

On the run to the finish, the key riders tried to find the gaps in the bunch to get their way through to the front, some smaller than others and the bunch were spread across the road.  

Broun managed to cross clear ahead of Gilmore who came from a boxed in position. Tomic was on her wheel showing rare sprinting form just ahead of Mullens.

Kirsty Broun (MB Cycles) was very happy with her team’s performance. ”I am very happy with the win today, it is a good course and basically the team worked really well today. We had to cover all of the breaks and it was pretty quick out there. I really enjoyed going up the hill and my MB Cycles team mates pulled through really strongly” said Broun. On hearing that she was in yellow due to count back Broun added “It is my first time in the yellow jersey so hopefully we can keep it.” Broun did not want to give way team secrets about the plan for race 3 but with a shorter and more technical course she said, “It will probably be like today. Lots of attacking and it will come down to team work and just covering the break” added Broun.

Broun is working full time as a Solicitor in Brisbane and trains part-time. “I do cycling for the passion of it and I believe I have got a great balance with working full time and cycling part-time. I don’t focus on cycling completely but use it as a challenge and a stress relief. I am really supported well by Deacons, they are a great Law firm to work for and they are 100% behind me and allowed me to take time out to compete” added Broun.

Josie Tomic (Plan B) finished a surprised third in the sprint in race 2 and reflected on the top 3 all being on 20 points. “It is very close now. I am actually really happy with the sprint, I am not known for my sprinting ability so to come third ahead of some the class riders here makes me very happy. We will see how it goes for the rest of the week” said Tomic. Tomic reflected on the efforts of team mate Sarah Kent who worked tremendously hard at the front of the race. “I am really lucky to have Sarah in my team. It was unbelievable what she did today, I think she was on the front for 70% of the time and was just chasing down everything. It made it so much easier for me. I am very happy with what she did and I feel very lucky. I am not going to bank on my sprinting ability over the next few days so I think we will need to have something else up our sleeves” she added.   

Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) was a little disappointed with her sprint at the finish, having got herself boxed in on the run in to the finish. “We rode really strongly again today and I was strong again and felt good. I had a disappointing sprint, you only have to switch off for couple of seconds and it’s all over. I have definitely put myself in better spots than I did today. I got out of it at the very last minute and grabbed second but it looked like I would miss out as 100m to go I was still boxed in at about 5^th wheel. Tomorrow is a new day” said Gilmore. Reflecting on the top three, Gilmore said “Well it will be pretty exciting and I think we will change our tactics, the course is pretty demanding. We all have good legs so hopefully we will finish all of us, but we will try to shake it up a little. I really want to defend the green jersey, I think Santini have done a great job with the design and I would really like to hold onto it” added Gilmore.

Sarah Kent (Plan B) spent 70% of the race on the front working for Tomic and really enjoyed the second race in the series. “I really enjoyed myself yesterday. I am not someone who doesn’t like to put herself in the race and try to break it up a little. Josie [Tomic] had an amazing result yesterday so we just had to do the work for her today. I found myself on the front for most of the time too but that is where I like to be” said Kent .

Kent is part of the successful west Australian Institute of sport and will be focusing on the time trial at Nationals next week.

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