Photos: Getty Sport
Ruth Edwards scored fourth place at the Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race in Australia, winning the sprint from a chasing group at the end of the 141km WorldTour race.
“It feels great to get fourth,” Edwards said. “We like to win so of course I would have liked to do a little better but I’m pleased with this and how the team rode, I felt protected the whole time.”
The former American champion had a strong showing on the two race-deciding ascents of Challambra Crescent and ended her time in Australia in high spirits.
“I take a lot of motivation going into European races,” she said. “I’m feeling super confident being back in the peloton and I’m excited to be able to push and try and race hard.”
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- Pipping Grace Brown to fourth place.
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- Shielded early on by Katia Ragusa, Lily Williams and Henrietta Christie.
Audrey Cordon-Ragot also animated the race, attacking at a pivotal time on the flat and riding solo through the first passage of the finish line. The move asked plenty of questions of the chasers, keeping the pace high so that more riders could be shed on the climb.
“The wind was blowing so hard,” Cordon-Ragot explained. “It was a headwind, so I knew that if I didn’t have 45 seconds it would be hard to hang on. But, I knew that if I was out the front the girls in the chase [Edwards and Katia Ragusa] could just sit on.”
Her effort also landed her €1,000 having won the sprint prime.
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- The squad now look ahead to the upcoming early season races.
A small kicker, after Challambra Crescent proved to be the decisive springboard with Rosita Reijnhout (Team Visma | Lease a BikeVisma) using it to catch earlier attacker Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ – SUEZ) and then force her own solo move away from the Dane and her original breakaway partner Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ).
Behind, Ewards was able to follow in the wheels to the finale, making sure of the fourth place with a strong kick to the line after the 19-year-old winner held off her pursuers.
Having competed at the Santos Tour Down Under, Geelong Classic crit and Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race, the team ends their Australian campaign and heads to Europe for the early season stage races and classics. The other half of the team competes in the Women Cycling Pro Costa De Almería on January 28.
Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race result
1 REIJNHOUT Rosita – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 3:53:31
2 WŁODARCZYK Dominika – UAE Team ADQ ”
3 LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup – FDJ – SUEZ ”
4 EDWARDS Ruth – Human Powered Health +05
5 BROWN Grace – FDJ – SUEZ ”
6 BARALE Francesca – Team dsm-firmenich PostNL ”
7 GUILMAN Victorie – St Michel – Mavic – Auber93 WE ”
8 ROY Sarah – Australia ”
9 (LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley – AG Insurance – Soudal Team ”
10 TOWERS Alice – Canyon//SRAM Racing ”
