Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini started her 2014 racing season in perfect style with a powerful sprint victory in the first stage of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic – the Bay Crits – on Geelong, Victoria’s Ritchie Boulevard. The former two-time World champion, who took the first of her road rainbow jerseys on the streets of Geelong in October 2010, blasted to the line more than a length clear of her nearest challengers, with Annette Edmondson (Orica-AIS) second, and Tiffany Cromwell (Specialized Securitor) third.
“It’s my first experience racing at this time of year, but maybe Geelong brings me luck,” Bronzini laughed. “I have some good memories of Geelong, so I’m happy to win again in this area.
“It was a really fast race and it was a tough crit because there were two corners and you had to sprint out of them every time, so there was a little stress on the legs,” the Italian explained. “But after the first 15 minutes I felt really good on the bike so I said to girls that I was good, and every girl worked to try to keep control of the breaks.
“I felt good from the beginning, so maybe the two weeks I spent in Sydney for training was good for me,” Bronzini added.
Bronzini’s victory earned her the first yellow jersey of the 2014 Bay Crits, while a second and first in the two intermediate sprints saw her also take the lead in the points classification.
An aggressive race from riders like Mullens, Villumsen, Charlotte Becker and Swedish champion Emilia Fahlin – making her debut in the black and orange colours – also meant that Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling took the lead in the team classification.
“Today obviously went well,” said Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team manager Rochelle Gilmore. “We had the ambition to make the race really hard from the start, and the girls did that really well, especially Peta Mullens who just set the race alight.
“Peta did three really strong attacks, and spent a bit of time off the front, and Linda Villumsen was also really, really strong today so she was being the policewoman of the bunch; bringing some stuff back and just being at the front.
“Giorgia felt good the whole way through the race. We would have liked to have had a breakaway today, but it didn’t happen, so Giorgia had a sprint. Obviously, she’s always up for a sprint if it comes back to a sprint.
“It’s all good heading into tomorrow,” Gilmore concluded. “We’re hoping the race will be a little bit harder tomorrow; a little bit more aggressive.”
Result
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Annette Edmondson (Orica-AIS)
3. Tiffany Cromwell (Specialized Securitor)
