Wiggle Down Under’s Chloe Hosking completed her overall victory in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic series in the fourth and final stage in Williamstown, Victoria, as teammate Giorgia Bronzini sprinted to the win. Two-time road World Champion Bronzini’s sprint was too powerful for Kimberley Wells (Roxsolt) at the end of the fast and furious 45 minute race, with Hosking herself taking third place to secure her yellow jersey.
“It was flat and fast, but it was even faster because Orica-AIS was so aggressive,” Hosking explained afterwards. “I don’t think there was 50 metres that went by when they weren’t attacking, so the girls did such a fantastic job, just covering everything!
“It was crazy. I was so, so proud of how we rode as a team. I think, every day, throughout the series we got better; riding together. It’s the first time we’ve all done it together, so of course that’s going to be the case, but today was phenomenal to be a part of.”
Despite having been part of the team that worked so hard to protect Hosking’s lead from attacks from the Orica-AIS and Roxsolt teams – along with Wiggle Down Under teammates Emilia Fahlin, Eileen Roe, Georgia Baker and Jess Mundy – Bronzini still managed to summon up the strength to beat criterium specialist Wells in the race for the line.
Hosking punched the air as she crossed in third place, safe in the knowledge that she’d done enough to secure her first Bay Crits title.
“I think Gio was so fired up!” Hosking exclaimed. “She’d done so much throughout the whole race, I couldn’t believe she still had so much power left at the end to win it! It just shows what sort of bike rider she is; she’s just so talented. For her to win, and for me to get third and keep the yellow; we went into the stage with that goal – to win and to keep yellow – and to actually achieve that is really awesome.”
Having won two stages in previous years, victory in the 2015 Bay Crits series – as well as her stage one win – is Hosking’s best ever performance in the New Year event. The 24-year-old Victorian’s near-perfect start to 2015 sets her up nicely for the upcoming international season.
“For sure this is a huge confidence boost,” she said. “I wasn’t really sure where my form was coming into the week, but now I’m a little bit more confident and – while I know that there are still areas I want to work on – I feel like I am actually at the level I was at last year and it seems easier to have gotten here. So that’s nice!”
Having joined Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling on the first of January, Hosking knows already that she made the right decision to sign for the most professional team in the women’s peloton.
“My first week with Wiggle has been fantastic!” she laughed. “We’ve had such an awesome team around us, and they made the whole week run really smoothly and I’m so happy to have come into such a well organised, professional environment.
“For it to actually have lived up to what it looks like from the outside: that’s fantastic.”
Result stage 4
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Down Under)
2. Kimberley Wells (Roxsolt)
3. Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Down Under)
Final General Classification
1. Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Down Under) 34 points
2. Lauren Kitchen (Roxsolt) 29
3. Lizzie Williams (Orica-AIS) 26
