Bennelong are the dominating team here in numbers, being able to fill three squads alone. And they have strong options in the sprint as well, mostly Howard and Meyer, but the competition is fierce. Ewan (with Nelson) and Matthews might be the main rivals, but there are even more competent sprinters next to them.
Startlist
Spoiler
Drapac
Damion
Adastra N Hell Energy Cycling
Hindley
Jai
Bakkafrost
Bayly
Cameron
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Bobridge
Jack
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Canty
Brendan
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Culey
Marcus
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Haig
Jack
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Hamilton
Chris
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Harper
Chris
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Howard
Leigh
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Lane
Patrick
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Magennis
Liam
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Meyer
Cameron
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Monk
Cyrus
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Morton
Lachlan
Bennelong - Mitchelton
O'Connor
Ben
Bennelong - Mitchelton
O'Shea
Glenn
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Phelan
Adam
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Power
Robert
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Roe
Timothy
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Scotson
Callum
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Scotson
Miles
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Wohler
Alex
Bennelong - Mitchelton
Schultz
Nicholas
BNZ Cycling Team
Scott
Cameron
BNZ Cycling Team
Von Hoff
Steele
BNZ Cycling Team
Durbridge
Luke
cycleYorkshire
Ford
William
cycleYorkshire
McCarthy
Jay
cycleYorkshire
Hamilton
Lucas
DK - SVA Zalgiris
Dempster
Zakkari
Duolingo
Howson
Damien
Duolingo
Matthews
Michael
GCN Racing
Ford
Michael
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
Haas
Nathan
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
Van der Ploeg
Paul
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
Gillett
Rhys
Grieg-Maersk
Groves
Kaden
Guave's Sunlight Cycling
Goss
Matthew
Indosat Ooredoo
Evans
Alexander
McCormick Pro Cycling
Hepburn
Michael
Moser - Sygic
Storer
Michael
Philips
Watson
Calvin
Philips
Edmondson
Alexander
Podium Ambition
Ewan
Caleb
Podium Ambition
Nelson
Ricki
Podium Ambition
Stannard
Robert
Xero Racing
Howard and Ewan are being brought into position, Drapac and Matthews are there, too, but with 4 kms left, there’s an attack!
Hepburn makes the move, Stannard follows, then Culey tries to cover the move for Bennelong, but also brings Ford with him.
Canty brings everything back together quickly, but Nelson tries to utilize the ensuing chaos and bursts to the front with Ewan! Howard is left trying to catch O'Shea’s wheel on the right, Drapac and Matthews are still in his slipstream.
Nelson seems to be running out of energy, Ewan is back in the saddle. Meanwhile, O'Shea does a good job and brings Howard in striking distance. Drapac is the only other one currently in range.
Ewan charges to the front on the left, that’s very early but he’s also by far the fastest right now as Howard struggles to build momentum in the middle of the road. Matthews remains patient in the front row of the peloton.
Ewan loses steam, Goss in the middle and Wohler on the right come to the front, but Howard is still doing well, too.
Howard takes a potentially decisive lead in the final few hundred meters, can anyone still challenge him?
No, Leigh Howard is the new Australian Champion! Phelan, Meyer and Bobridge make it a 1-2-3-4 for Bennelong. Podium Ambition tried to counter that numerical advantage with a bold move that ultimately didn’t pay off, other sprinters end up far more disappointing.
Result
1
Leigh Howard
Bennelong - Mitchelton
1h25'58
2
Adam Phelan
Bennelong 2
s.t.
3
Cameron Meyer
Bennelong 2
s.t.
4
Jack Bobridge
Bennelong 3
s.t.
5
Caleb Ewan
Podium Ambition
s.t.
6
Jack Haig
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
7
Alex Wohler
Bennelong 3
s.t.
8
Ricki Nelson
Podium Ambition
s.t.
9
Cameron Bayly
Bennelong 3
s.t.
10
Zakkari Dempster
Duolingo
s.t.
11
Steele Von Hoff
BNZ Cycling Team
s.t.
12
Matthew Goss
Indosat Ooredoo
s.t.
13
Nathan Haas
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
s.t.
14
Damion Drapac
Adastra N Hell Energy Cycling
s.t.
15
Michael Matthews
GCN Racing
s.t.
16
Glenn O'Shea
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
17
William Ford
cycleYorkshire
s.t.
18
Paul Van der Ploeg
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
s.t.
19
Kaden Groves
Guave's Sunlight Cycling
s.t.
20
Marcus Culey
Bennelong 3
s.t.
21
Robert Stannard
Xero Racing
s.t.
22
Michael Hepburn
Moser - Sygic
s.t.
23
Damien Howson
Duolingo
s.t.
24
Brendan Canty
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
25
Alexander Edmondson
Podium Ambition
s.t.
26
Lucas Hamilton
DK - SVA Zalgiris
s.t.
27
Rhys Gillett
Grieg-Maersk
s.t.
28
Jai Hindley
Bakkafrost
s.t.
29
Calvin Watson
Philips
s.t.
30
Cyrus Monk
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
31
Michael Storer
Philips
s.t.
32
Cameron Scott
BNZ Cycling Team
s.t.
33
Alexander Evans
McCormick Pro Cycling
s.t.
34
Nicholas Schultz
BNZ Cycling Team
s.t.
35
Timothy Roe
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
36
Chris Hamilton
Bennelong 3
s.t.
37
Jay McCarthy
cycleYorkshire
s.t.
38
Chris Harper
Bennelong 2
s.t.
39
Michael Ford
Glanbia Foods Cycling Project
s.t.
40
Miles Scotson
Bennelong 3
s.t.
41
Liam Magennis
Bennelong 3
s.t.
42
Luke Durbridge
cycleYorkshire
s.t.
43
Ben O'Connor
Bennelong - Mitchelton
s.t.
44
Lachlan Morton
Bennelong 2
s.t.
45
Callum Scotson
Bennelong 2
+ 3'16
46
Robert Power
Bennelong 2
+ 7'45
47
Patrick Lane
Bennelong 2
s.t.
---------------
Australian Championships - ITT
The ITT is hotly contested. Durbridge is the favorite, but lots of other contenders will be confident to have a shot at the title.
Bennelong has lots of good time trialists on the road early in the day. Wohler is the best of the first batch, beating teammates O’Shea (+ 35), Scotson (+ 1’29) and Roe (+ 1’59) by surprisingly large margins. This might have been a really good time!
But then comes Dempster. He was 35 seconds ahead at the second checkpoint … and keeps just 3 of that at the finish line. Still, it’s good enough to be on the hot seat for now.
Bennelong had three strong time trialists left on the road, Scotson, Bobridge and Haig. The latter is the best of them, but only manages to finish third for the moment, 22 seconds behind Dempster and 19 seconds behind Wohler, who’ll remain the team’s best rider today.
Four people who might still beat Dempster: Ford, Hepburn, Howson and Durbridge. The latter two were able to beat him at the second time check, but the differences were close.
Ford finishes first and he shows what can be done on the final sector alone: Tied with Dempster on the time check, he beats him by 17 seconds at the line to take the lead.
Then comes Hepburn. He can’t beat that and is 7 seconds slower.
Howson led Ford by 9 seconds at the second checkpoint and he adds 4 more - that’s silver at minimum. Only one man who can still beat him …
… and he does: Durbridge takes the Australian ITT title with a solid 23 second advantage - congrats!
Australian Championships - RR 
