RUBY Roseman-Gannon has continued the outstanding start to her professional career and Cameron Ivory’s solo attack has paid off both claimed national championships on Sturt Street last Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
After winning the two Bay Classic criteriums at Geelong the previous weekend, Roseman-Gannon was the rider to beat in the women’s race.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Victorian rode in her Team BikeExchange-Jayco colours for the first time and new teammate Alex Manly gave crucial support in the closing laps.<\/p>\n
Manly bridged to the front group of nine riders and then led out Roseman-Gannon for the final sprint.<\/p>\n
Roseman-Gannon won the reduced sprint ahead of Josie Talbot and Peta Mullens.<\/p>\n
After finishing runner-up in the criterium at the previous two national championships and coming third the year before, this was a particularly sweet win for Roseman-Gannon.<\/p>\n
“I’ve wanted this for a very long time, and to finish it off in my first time out in a full BikeExchange kit means so much,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I can’t thank Alex Manly enough, she rides for other people all the time. She is the most selfless rider and I couldn’t have done it without her.”<\/p>\n
Ivory, who represented Australia in mountain biking at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, attacked on the last lap and stayed away to claim the men’s elite title.<\/p>\n
He finished two seconds ahead of Alastair Christie-Johnson, who took second in the bunch sprint of more than 20 riders ahead of Cameron Scott.<\/p>\n
“That was definitely unexpected.\u00a0I came in here not really knowing how the form would be. I know that I’ve done heaps of training into this,” Ivory said.<\/p>\n
“I felt a little bit sluggish out there but at the end I had an opportunity to go.<\/p>\n
“I’ve actually sort of played that last lap in my mind in the past and I thought if this happens maybe I’ll just have a dig and next thing you know I’m finding myself in that situation.<\/p>\n
“That last lap was just a blur for me, I couldn’t believe it was happening.”<\/p>\n
Anya Louw finished fourth in the women’s elite race to win the under-23 title, while Graeme Frislie took the men’s under-23 crown and Hamish McKenzie and Lucinda Stewart won the junior titles.<\/p>\n
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