Chapman and Bennett win inaugural Race Torquay

February 6, 2020 BY James Taylor

Brodie Chapman salutes the crowd as she wins the Race Torquay elite women's race. Photo: JAMES TAYLOR

IT WAS a hot race in hot conditions as the inaugural Race Torquay rolled out on Thursday last week.

The official lead-in criterium to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race saw some of the world’s best male and female cyclists race a 13-kilometre circuit around Torquay.

The podium for the Race Torquay Elite Women’s race – Emily Herfoss (Roxsolt Attaquer), Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) and Tayler Wiles (Trek – Segafredo). Photo: JAMES TAYLOR

In the women’s race, Australian rider Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope) attacked on lap five of the eight-lap course to blitz the women’s field, ahead of Roxsolt Attaquer’s Emily Herfoss and Taylor Wiles from Trek-Segafredo.

Chapman also won the second of the Surf Coast Times Super Sprints, with Canyon//SRAM’s Tanja Erath winning the first.

Times News Group advertising director Warick Brown congratulates Surf Coast Times Super Sprint winner Tanja Erath (Canyon//SRAM). Photo: JAMES TAYLOR

The men’s race went right to the line as two-time Race Melbourne winner and Irish national champion Sam Bennett from Deceuninck – Quick Step took top honours. He was followed by NTT Pro Cycling’s Giacomo Nizzolo (on his 31st birthday) and Team Sunweb’s Alberto Dainese.

Neilson Powless (EF Pro Cycling) and Kiel Reijnen (Trek-Segafredo) won the men’s Surf Coast Times Super Sprints.