Lauren Bates and Jack Ward (Team Brennan p/b TP32) climbed to victory on stage 4 of the Tour of Tasmania on Sunday, with Ward pulling out a big enough gap with his solo win to also claim the men’s tour general classification.
Ward crossed the line 17 seconds ahead of Zac Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak) which, with win bonuses, gave him a one-second advantage ahead of Marriage on the men’s overall. Ollie Sims (Cobra9 x Leigh Surveyors) was third on the stage and fourth overall.
Sophie Marr (Praties) claimed the women’s GC victory when she crossed the line to take second place behind Bates in the 50km hilltop finale of the third round of the ProVelo Super League. Rhylee Akeroyd (Meridian Blue Cycling p/b 99 Bikes) was third in the sprint from the group of ten that came to the line at the top of stage 4’s Golden Valley Climb.
“I’ve been working so hard as a first year Under 23 and as an individual. I’m so proud of myself, even getting here and doing it on my own,” said the 18-year-old Bates after taking on the strength of the ProVelo teams as an individual rider to win stage 4.
The Tour of Tasmania started with a criterium on Friday – won by Keely Bennett (Meridian Blue Cycling p/b 99 Bikes) and Kurt Eather (CCACHE x Bodywrap) – then on Saturday morning riders set out on a road race from Sheffield with Hamish McKenzie (Tasmanian Institute of Sport) and Sophie Marr (Praties Cycling) crossing the line first. The time trial that afternoon was then won by Oliver Bleddyn (Team Brennan p/b TP32) and Alli Anderson (Butterfields ZipTrak).
Stage 4, which took riders around Deloraine and through the Meanders Hills before reaching the pivotal final climb, was always going to be crucial to the overall battle given the top five men were all within 35 seconds heading into the final day of racing and the top five women were all within 24 seconds.
Ward, in fact moved up from fifth overall at the start of the day when he clinched the stage and overall win by launching on that final climb with 7km to go.
“So stoked, the team set it up perfectly and just went all out and it worked out well,” said Ward in an interview put out on the ProVelo Super League Instagram.
Ward is also at the top of the ProVelo Super League overall and under 23 classification after the completion of the third round of the new top-tier domestic series while Marr also moved to the top on the under 23 and overall ahead of Praties teammate Talia Appleton at the halfway point of the six-event series.
Men’s stage 4 results
Women’s stage 4 results
