Santos Festival of Cycling 2022 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE] (ladies)

January 23, 2022

Santos Festival of Cycling 2022 – Stage 1 WE – Tanunda – Williamstown : 85,4 km

The Santos Festival of Cycling, which includes four days of racing across South Australia for the women and men, is the National Road Series replacement for the cancelled Tour Down Under, which was last held as a WorldTour event for men. The multi-day event provides an opportunity for the top domestic racers to line up alongside some of the nation’s WorldTour professionals who returned home for the Australian summer. The domestic event will feature three-day stage races for elite women and elite men, as well as men’s and women’s criteriums in Victoria Park.

Emily Watts (Knights of Suburbia) took out the win on stage 1 of the women’s race at the Santos Festival of Cycling, beating Ruby Roseman-Gannon (BikeExchange-Jayco) in the sprint to the Williamstown finish line after the field hauled in a late break.

Nicole Frain (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) came through in third, putting the newly awarded jersey of the Australian National Champion and two domestic riders onto the podium in the first of four days of racing around South Australia, which provided an unusually damp and mild day of summer racing in the event known for its scorching temperatures.

“I am stoked. It was a team effort,” said Watts after stepping up to the podium for the stage win and best young rider classification. “We executed our team plan brilliantly. Georgie [Howe] got the QOM and she got caught in the breakaway and I was just sitting in steady for the sprint.”

Even though Watts won the final sprint – coming from well back on the final corner and just continuing to power to the front – it wasn’t enough for her to add the jersey of the overall leader to her white best young rider jersey. Roseman-Gannon’s efforts out on the road to scoop up the time bonuses from the intermediate sprints during the stage meant her second place still left her two seconds ahead overall.

How it unfolded

The first day of four days of racing began in Tanunda, in the heart of the state’s wine rich Barossa Valley, winding its way 85.4km to Williamstown. It’s the first of three stages out on the roads around South Australia in the women’s race, which culminates with a criterium in the centre of Adelaide on Wednesday, which also marks the start of the men’s race.

The event which usually leaves riders reaching for the ice-filled stockings set off from wet cobbles onto damp roads and there were early crashes and splits in the field, which included WorldTour pros and U19 riders alike.

One early crash left Lisa Jacob (Knights of Suburbia) among the riders who could be seen working her way back onto the field, with a bloodied and painful looking knee. In another, at about 25km into the race, Rachel Neylan fell while Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Roseman-Gannon also came down on top. The Cofidis rider racing for composite squad Team Westpac, sadly was out of the race as a result but Spratt – returning to racing following surgery for Iliac artery endofibrosis – and Roseman-Gannon chased back on.

Guest rider for BikeExchange-Jayco, Amber Pate, who came second in the time trial at Road Nationals, was on the front as the race approached the first sprint at 32 kilometres into the racing. With teammate Alex Manly leading out Roseman-Gannon not only swept up the 3 second time bonus, but teammate Georgia Baker was right behind to soak up the rewards for second.

The field mostly stayed together, although shed a fair number of riders as they went through the day of racing with just over 1000m of climbing and the extra challenge of the on again, off again wet conditions.

As the second intermediate sprint of the day approached, 60km into the racing, Pate again drove on the front to keep the pace high, leaving Roseman-Gannon to again take the bonuses with her teammate Baker on the wheel.

As the race ticked down toward ten kilometres to go the field was stretching as the riders approached the late race climb of Whispering Wall, which has an average gradient of 5.7 per cent and delivered points for the mountains jersey.

The ascent split the field and after Howe (Knights of Suburbia) had swept up the mountain points at the top of the climb, Justine Barrow (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) and Ruth Corset (VA Pro Racing) joined her to form a trio out the front. The chase was on and they were pulled back in, setting up a sprint finish where Watts became an unlikely winner after having looked to be well back in the final corner. However, she powered through on the outside and had swept to the front of the field with a prolonged turn of pace by the line.

That left Watts with the best young rider jersey, as well as the stage win. Her teammate at the development squad, Howe, took the Queen of the Mountain jersey and BikeExchange-Jayco’s Roseman-Gannon the overall lead, as well as the sprinters jersey.

Results :
1 Emily Watts (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing 2:13:25
2 Ruby Roseman-gannon (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
3 Nicole Frain (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
4 Matilda Raynolds (Aus) Inform TMX Make
5 Georgia Baker (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
6 Gina Ricardo (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
7 Maeve Plouffe (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
8 Grace Brown (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
9 Matilda Field (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
10 Ruth Corset (Aus) VA Pro Racing
11 Anya Louw (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
12 Georgia Whitehouse (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
13 Sophie Malowiecki (Aus) Giant Racing Team
14 Amelia Watkinson (Aus) Individual Riders
15 Katie Banerjee (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
16 Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
17 Carlee Taylor (Aus) Inform TMX Make
18 Justine Barrow (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
19 Samara Sheppard (NZl) Team Westpac
20 Peta Mullens (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
21 Georgie Howe (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
22 Courtney Sherwell (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
23 Alexandra Manly (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
24 Mia Hayden (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
25 Amber Pate (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco 0:00:17
26 Isabelle Carres (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:00:29
27 Alisha Wells (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
28 Megan Armitage (Irl) Team Westpac
29 Belinda Bailey (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
30 Ella Simpson (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
31 Nicole Wilson (Aus) VA Pro Racing
32 Sophie Marr (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
33 Sharni Morley (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
34 Jessica Pratt (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
35 Alyssa Polites (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
36 Elizabeth Young (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
37 Jessa Francis (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
38 Rose Vassel (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
39 Emma Pratt (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
40 Emma Viotto (Aus) Giant Racing Team
41 Lisa Jacob (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
42 Chelsea Holmes (Aus) Inform TMX Make
43 Maddison Taylor (Aus) Giant Racing Team
44 Lauren Thomas (Aus) Giant Racing Team
45 Hannah Seeliger (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
46 Jennifer Darmody (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
47 Darcie Richards (Aus) VA Pro Racing
48 Josie Talbot (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
49 Lucie Fityus (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
50 Phillipa Ash (Aus) Individual Riders 0:00:57
51 Bree Playel (Aus) VA Pro Racing
52 Loretta Hanson (Aus) Team Westpac
53 Kathryn Mcinerney (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
54 Rachel Wales (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
55 Claire Battle (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:01:00
56 Hayley Jones (Aus) Giant Racing Team
57 Shannon Mccurley (Irl) Knights of Suburbia Racing 0:01:28
58 Imogen Alton (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
59 Rachel Hore (Aus) Individual Riders
60 Kerry Jonker (RSA) Team Westpac
61 Laura Chancellor (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
62 Nicole Oh (Aus) Individual Riders
63 Brittany Petersen (Aus) Team Westpac
64 Holly Lubcke (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
65 Ella Bloor (Aus) Inform TMX Make
66 Nicola Macdonald (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM 0:01:39
67 Haylee Fuller (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:04:33
68 Sophie Edwards (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
69 Elizabeth Nuspan (Aus) Inform TMX Make
70 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
71 Mackenzie Coupland (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:10:53
72 Alana Forster (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
73 Lucinda Stewart (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
74 Julia Atkins (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
75 Alli Anderson (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
76 Nicole Mitsigeorgis (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:14:53
77 Eloise Sandow (Aus) Inform TMX Make
78 Celia Cowan (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
79 Dharlia Haines (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
80 Holly Chance (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
81 Alexandra Martin-wallace (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
OTL Kelly Fettes (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
OTL Caitlin Corset (Aus) VA Pro Racing
OTL Kayla Mcsporran (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
DNF Saffron Button (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
DNF Lauren Perry (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
DNF Jordyn Hassett (Aus) Giant Racing Team
DNF Kate Bonner (Aus) VA Pro Racing
DNF Cassandra Dodd (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
DNF Shaylee Johnston (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
DNF Katarina Chung-orr (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
DNF Megan Marker (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
DNF Summer Nordmeyer (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
DNF Rachel Neylan (Aus) Team Westpac
DNF Jacqui Slack (GBr) Individual Riders
DNS Victoria Barry (Aus) VA Pro Racing

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 Ruby Roseman-gannon (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco 2:13:13
2 Emily Watts (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing 0:00:02
3 Nicole Frain (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM 0:00:08
4 Georgia Baker (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
5 Matilda Raynolds (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:00:12
6 Gina Ricardo (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
7 Maeve Plouffe (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
8 Grace Brown (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
9 Matilda Field (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
10 Ruth Corset (Aus) VA Pro Racing
11 Anya Louw (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
12 Georgia Whitehouse (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
13 Sophie Malowiecki (Aus) Giant Racing Team
14 Amelia Watkinson (Aus) Individual Riders
15 Katie Banerjee (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
16 Danielle de Francesco (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
17 Carlee Taylor (Aus) Inform TMX Make
18 Justine Barrow (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
19 Samara Sheppard (NZl) Team Westpac
20 Peta Mullens (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
21 Georgie Howe (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
22 Courtney Sherwell (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM
23 Alexandra Manly (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
24 Mia Hayden (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
25 Amber Pate (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco 0:00:29
26 Josie Talbot (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s 0:00:40
27 Isabelle Carres (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:00:41
28 Alisha Wells (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
29 Megan Armitage (Irl) Team Westpac
30 Belinda Bailey (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
31 Ella Simpson (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
32 Nicole Wilson (Aus) VA Pro Racing
33 Sophie Marr (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
34 Sharni Morley (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
35 Jessica Pratt (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
36 Alyssa Polites (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
37 Elizabeth Young (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
38 Jessa Francis (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
39 Rose Vassel (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
40 Emma Pratt (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
41 Emma Viotto (Aus) Giant Racing Team
42 Lisa Jacob (Aus) Knights of Suburbia Racing
43 Chelsea Holmes (Aus) Inform TMX Make
44 Maddison Taylor (Aus) Giant Racing Team
45 Lauren Thomas (Aus) Giant Racing Team
46 Hannah Seeliger (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
47 Jennifer Darmody (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
48 Darcie Richards (Aus) VA Pro Racing
49 Lucie Fityus (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
50 Phillipa Ash (Aus) Individual Riders 0:01:09
51 Bree Playel (Aus) VA Pro Racing
52 Loretta Hanson (Aus) Team Westpac
53 Kathryn Mcinerney (Aus) Stepfwd Soomom
54 Rachel Wales (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
55 Hayley Jones (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:01:11
56 Claire Battle (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:01:12
57 Shannon Mccurley (Irl) Knights of Suburbia Racing 0:01:40
58 Imogen Alton (Aus) Sydney Uni Staminade Women’s
59 Rachel Hore (Aus) Individual Riders
60 Kerry Jonker (RSA) Team Westpac
61 Laura Chancellor (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
62 Nicole Oh (Aus) Individual Riders
63 Brittany Petersen (Aus) Team Westpac
64 Holly Lubcke (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
65 Ella Bloor (Aus) Inform TMX Make
66 Nicola Macdonald (Aus) Roxsolt Liv SRAM 0:01:51
67 Haylee Fuller (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:04:45
68 Sophie Edwards (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
69 Elizabeth Nuspan (Aus) Inform TMX Make
70 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Team BikeExchange-Jayco
71 Mackenzie Coupland (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:11:05
72 Alana Forster (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
73 Lucinda Stewart (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
74 Julia Atkins (Aus) Women’s Racing Project
75 Alli Anderson (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
76 Nicole Mitsigeorgis (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:15:05
77 Eloise Sandow (Aus) Inform TMX Make
78 Celia Cowan (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
79 Dharlia Haines (Aus) South Australian Sports Institute
80 Holly Chance (Aus) Butterfields Racing Team
81 Alexandra Martin-wallace (Aus) Ara Pro Racing Sunshine Coast