SKILLED BAY CYCLING CLASSIC 2001 JANUARY 3RD - 7TH 2001
WILLIAMSTOWN MENS EVENT The stage has ben set after the completion of round one of the Skilled Bay Cycling Classic today in historic bayside Williamstown. Tour de France stage winner Robbie McEwen and NWSIS rider Rochelle Gilmore both showed class winning sprint finishes to lead the early stages of the overall event. It was a race of attrition that only the toughest competitors would survive with '98 & 2000 series winner Brett Aitken out in the first few minutes of the race crashing heavily and losing skin from his left leg but assuring everyone he would be at the next round in Torquay, .Hilton Clarke literally thew himself off the bike to suffer the worse scraping of the day, but the gutsy final stage winner of last years Nortas Tour of Tasmania got back on the bike and after rejoining the race attacked again giving race winner McEwen a dose of his own medicine. Tour de France yellow jersey holder Stuart O'Grady suffered two punctures leaving him well down in the finishing bunch and out of the points.
For the rest of the riders it was a slow ride to hell as the peleton sped round the course with the lead bunch having the advantage of a clear run through the notoriuos Crown Casino roundabout with its tight swinging left hander leaving the field strung out racing each other man on man to stave off being dropped and lapped out of the race. For the spectators who gathered around the course it was an awesome sight as the field sped past in a colorful parade of jerseys, bikes and suffering face of those unable to get to the front of the race.
For McEwen who will join his new team in europe shortly it was a victory he worked hard at. The gutsy sprinter decided to attack the field early with a "come and get me if you want it" attitude that ripped the field apart like a tornado in a trailer park. But in the dying stages of the race the aggressive Clarke gave McEwen a dose of his own medicine when he attacked to lead the race into the final few turns. With McEwen in full flight and not prepared to be upstaged on the long finishing straight, the race was set for the closest of finishes. In a great show of determination and with animal ruthlessness McEwen stalked Clarke and killed off any chance Clarke had of victory by burying him in the final few metres.
WOMENS EVENT If the crowd were expecting a showdown in the womens event then they were about to get it. The Skilled Bay Cycling Classic would provide two women with an opportunity to get the "monkey off their back" and make a good start to a new millenium of racing. All attention was focused on australias number one international Anna Wilson who for all her successes in 2000 must have been disappointed with her Olympic results (especially as it was on home soil) and NSWIS rider Rochelle Gilmore who had the series wrapped up last year only to puncture with just four laps to go. So here we were, awaiting the outcome of what should have been a battle royal between the seasoned international Wilson and the brash cheeky youngster Gilmore and yes it lived up to expectations. The two riders were soon in a breakaway bunch that worked its guts out to stay in front of an absolutely devestated field of 54 classy riders. This race too would come down to a thriller of a finisher as both women (Wilson & Gilmore) fought out a terrific finish that had the crowd on their feet cheering on the two competitors who threw everything at the finish line> In the end it was the youth and exuberance of Gilmore that triumphed over the experience of Wilson. If this battle royal for queen of the hive continues through the series then we are in for a feast of cycling action not seen before. I for one certainly hope it continues as it will do much to lift even further the image and profile of our talented women cyclists.

RACE RESULTS MEN 1 Robbie McEwen 2 Hilton Clark 3 David McPartland 4 Robert Tighello 5 Peter Milostic 6 Graeme Brown 7 Ben Day 8 Russell Van Hout 9 Jamie Drew 10 Jonathon Davis WOMEN 1 Rochelle Gilmore 2 Anna Wilson 3 Bridget Evans 4 Lyndelle Higginson 5 Katie Mactier 6 Sara Carrigan 7 Hayley Rutherford 8 Joanne Kiesanowski 9 Naomi Williams 10 Margaret Hemmsley SUPPORT RACE 1 Jeff Hopkins 2 Jason Benny-Morris 3 Roberto Salvadeo 4 Joel Leonard 5 Paul Kenny 6 Herbert Donovan 7 Ben Jackson 8 Michael Walsh 9 Mark Roach 10 Brendan Cato

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