Photos courtesy of Greg LongVelo Canberra's Michael Tolhurst took his first criterium win for the summer season in a stunning solo victory.
Tolhurst escaped the clutches of the peleton with second place finisher Marc Williams just after the halfway point of the race, aggressively capitalising at a crucial moment as the bunch reeled from a flurry of attacks.
The pair swapped off consistently to open up a 30 second lead on the main field which was to prove enough to hold of the peleton. Two laps out from the finish Tolhurst made his move to ride away from Williams and convincingly clinch the win.
How the race unfolded
With conditions ideal for some fast racing, round 1 winner Michael Matthews immediately tore off the line, dragging the field to a brisk start.
Sam Genge tried his legs early in an attempt to slip away, however a vigilant bunch was quick to haul him in. 
Allan Sieper also tried several times to get clear of the race, but without fruition.
High bunch speeds and unsuccessful attacks illustrated the opening half of the race, however Stephen Blackburn stole a short march on the pack for an optimistic lone lap.
As Blackburn was being brought back to the group, Justin Tomlinson scorched off the front of the group with Matthews in tow.
The duo managed to build a 15 second gap, however the main field was kept at close quarters by some strong chasing from Tuggeranong Vikings rider Simon Dywer and upcoming junior racer Lewis Hopkins. 
Matthews and Tomlinson succumbed to the chase of the peleton, however this unsuccessful move paved the way for the race winning counter attack of Tolhurst and Williams.
As Williams and Tolhurst slowly built their insurmountable lead, a sensational move from the ever aggressive Justin Tomlinson saw him come ever so close to riding across the gap to the lead pair. Unfortunately for Tomlinson he couldn't quite shut down the final 50 metres and was eventually swallowed up by the main bunch 3 laps from the finish.
As Tolhurst skipped away from Williams up front, Genge and Matthews were still maintaining the speed back in the main pack. Former Commonwealth Bank stage race winner Peter Rogers also assisted in lifting the pace of the peleton in the closing laps.
While Tolhurst saluted the crowd in fine solo style, Michael Matthews once again displayed his ability to recover by launching out of the final corner in the sprint for third. Matthews was just pipped on the line by Team QUON rider Joel Stewart, while ACT Academy of Sport rider Alistair Loutit took fifth placing.
Top 10 Results
1. Michael Tolhurst
2. Marc Williams
3. Joel Stewart
4. Michael Matthews
5. Alistair Loutit
6. Allan Sieper
7. David Rae
8. Peter Rogers
9. Lewis Hopkins
10. Mitchell Lovelock-Faye
All Photos courtesy of Greg Long
1 comment:
Mick Tolhurst. The man is a Demigod. Even as He crosses the line in victory, He remains diligent in His responsibility of preventing the sky from falling. We mere mortals can forgive Him His small show of skylarking (pardon the pun) as He demonstrates His ability to fulfill His charge with the use of only two fingers. We remain ever grateful to be blessed with His presence at SuperCrit Thursday.
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