Welcome to the unofficial start to the 2013 MG-season, welcome in Australia, welcome on Boulevard Avenue in beautiful Geelong! It's time for the Bay Classic Series, the world's fastest criterium-series, to begin.
It's not easy to pick a top-favorite for both today's race and the overall winner, as several sprinters meet on the same level here. Aussie Cameron Meyer from ProTour-team Koenigsegg may be called a top-favourite for the sprints though, but he faces some tough competition in his compatriots like Ricki Nelson (ANC Halfords, riding for Team Budget here), Damion Drapac (Oz Cycling), Chris Sutton (Risa-Ergon), Simon Clarke (Credexbank) and of course Leigh Howard from ProTour-Team Milka (riding for Drapac here)!
But we've also the Malaysian fellows like Anuar Manan or Azizulhasni Awang, as well as Yukiya Arashiro from Japan (Meiji) or Sam Bennett for Ireland. So, pick the favorites on your own and get ready for the first criterium!
Kiwi veteran Hayden Roulston is the first to go on the attack, wasting no time with an early move just out of the second corner! He will be joined by Jonathon Tiernan-Locke (Team Britain) and Kiwi-compatriot Logan Hutchings, who's riding for Orica-Australasian here.
The first lap is raced and two more riders went on the attack to join group Roulston: Irishman Phil Lavery and Damien Howson (Risa-Ergon). The group quickly established a 1'00"-lead over the peloton and they pass the finish-line for the first time with 38km to go.
Another lap is done and there's no time to relax for both the breakaway and the field, as 4 more riders attack out of the pack and try to bridge the gap: Adam Semple (UniSA), Mark Jamieson (Genesys), Meiji's Tomohiro Kinoshita (Japan) and Adam Hansen (riding for Drapac). The pace is extraordinary high with those launched attacks and the pursuit is on it's way!
The number of attacks leads to the early breakaway being already within sight of the pack again. Adam Phelan (Oz Cycling, wearing a special Bay Classic-shirt) is the next in the line, passing Jamieson and trying to catch up to Hansen, who looks the strongest out of the 2nd group. 24km left.
The early breakaway with Roulston is eventually swallowed by the peloton with 2 laps remaining. But the race is still chaotic and it's again Adam Hansen, who tries to hold the pack off, launching another attack. Cameron Wurf (Budget) joins this attack, while all of the others like Kinoshita or Phelan were left empty-handed.
We're ahead of the bell lap, 7km to go. Hansen and Wurf managed to build a 35"-gap on the peloton, while Wurf's teammate James Meadley caught up to the two escapees! So we have a group of 3 riders (including two Free Agents) setting the agenda late in the race and they have enough of a gap to seriously believe in winning this opening criterium!
As the late-attackers pass the 1km-mark, the still hold on to their lead, which is down to 12" though, with the peloton preparing the sprint. Team Budget's Wurf and Meadley can't take advantage out of the perfect constellation to have a teammate for the final sprint and so it's Hansen with the final push for the finish on his own! He sensed the weakness in his companions and soloes away!
Meanwhile the sprinters are in position for the bunck-kick: Risa-Ergon's Aussie Anthony Giacoppo leads-out Chris Sutton. Simon Clarke, Wes Sulzberger, Graeme Brown, Leigh Howard and Damion Drapac are within reach..
And this is exactly what the fans wanted to see! As thrilling as a finish can be, Hansen has the win within sight, while Sutton, Sulzberger and Howard already passed Meadley and Wurf and nearinf with tremendous speed!
A few meters to go and this is a grand finale for this event in Geelong! Hansen desperately holds onto his yet small advantage, while Chris Sutton had a perfect leadout and appears to be the strongest sprinter today. Howard (Drapac) won't have a chance to catch up, it's all about Sutton or Hansen!
And it's Sutton! What a finish, what a pity for Hansen. Luck was not on his side, but he still finishes on 2nd place right behind local hero Sutton. And there's another surprise: Free Agent veteran Graeme Brown (UniSA) sprints for 3rd place, screaming a "To all ya managers!" while crossing the line. Simon Clarke, Leigh Howard, Damion Drapac, Wes Sulzberger and Adrian Hanson finish from 4th to 8th, making the Top-8 All-Aussie.. A rather disappointing Cameron Meyer finishes 12th. But tomorrow's another chance for the sprinters, as the Bay Classic Series continues in Queenscliff.
Cameron Meyer from ProTour-team Koenigsegg may be called a top-favourite for the sprints though, but he faces some tough competition in his compatriots like Ricki Nelson (ANC Halfords, riding for Team Budget here), Damion Drapac (Oz Cycling), Chris Sutton (Risa-Ergon), Simon Clarke (Credexbank) and of course Leigh Howard from ProTour-Team Milka (riding for Drapac here)!
Anuar Manan or Azizulhasni Awang, as well as 
Yukiya Arashiro from Japan (Meiji) or 
Sam Bennett for Ireland. So, pick the favorites on your own and get ready for the first criterium!
Alex Meenhorst
