Haas powers the winning break around the twisting coursePhotos courtesy of Greg Long
Nathan Haas of the Suzuki Uno racing squad overhauled a fast finishing Dean Windsor (Drapac Porsche) to take victory in Round 9 of the Vikings Cycling Club's SuperCrit Thursday series.
Haas, who is more commonly seen either mountain biking or rushing between classes at university, has just recently started testing his legs on the road scene. With some impressive performances on the dirt to his name, including making the Aussie team to race the Canberra round of the Mountain Bike World Cup, Haas seems to be transferring his off road capabilities to the tar with immediate results.
Haas managed to escape the clutches of the peloton ten minutes into the race in a break group of five, before it was whittled down to three. Included along side Windsor in the Haas break and hanging on for third overall was the strong Tuggeranong Vikings' racer of Neil Skipper.
Haas, clearly looking strong throughout the race, attacked his breakaway companions twice in the final three laps in an attempt to avoid a small group sprint.
However, despite leading out the finish down the long final straight, Hass found the legs after being jumped by the experienced Windsor to overhaul the international racer and claim his first ever SuperCrit win.
'I'm estatic with how that panned out' gasped a wide eyed Haas after the race. 'It's my style to try to breakaway, yet I have never sprinted that good before!'
Haas was full of praise for his breakaway comrades stating that 'both the two boys with me worked really well. It's always great when a break can hang on for the win, especially when it's three against the bunch.'
How it unfolded
With many of Canberra's local racers gearing up for this weekends climbers delight otherwise known as the Tour of Bright, a slightly reduced field lined up for this weeks SuperCrit.
Immediately off the line, and quickly speeding away to a handy gap was Velo Canberra's Andrew Circosta.
Andrew Circosta escapes the peloton
Circosta built his lead to forty metres advantage, holding on to his gap for the next five laps in a strong example of time trialling prowess.
Unfortunately for Circosta, the ambitious early break wasn't to be this week, seeing Circosta pegged back by an alert main field ten minutes into the race.The counter-attack was swift, sudden and race defining when it came from eventual winner Haas, moments after Circosta was engulfed back into the fold of the peloton.
Making sure to put themselves in the move, aside from Windsor and Skipper, was former junior world time trial champion Deane Rogers, along with Southern Highlands racer Justin Tomlinson.
Justin Tomlinson forcing the pace in the break
The severity of the attack, combined with the immediate and urgent turns of pace from all members of the breakaway group saw the leaders quickly gain a ten second gap over the main field.
A desperate chase resulted back in the main field to try to contain the rapidly expanding gap of the Haas group. Peter Rogers (Rideshop), Mark Harris (ACT Vets), Michael Tolhurst (Velo Canberra), Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) and Mitch Lovelock-Faye (TLC) all through their weight behind the chase in an attempt to reel the break back in.Twenty minutes into the race, and the strong turns of pace started to take their toll on the breakaway with Tomlinson missing the wheel after his turn and fading back to the main field.
Sensing a possible weakening of the leaders up front, Calabria attacked out of the main field with Tolhurst in tow in an attempt to cross the widening gap.
The attack resulted in splitting the main field asunder, with riders scrambling in ones and twos to try to match the speed of Tolhurst and Calabria.
Two laps later the main field regrouped, however despite the flurries in pace, the leading four riders stretched their advantage to fifteen seconds lead.
A strong turn of pace from Haas a lap later ended the ambitions of Deane Rogers in the leading group, with Rogers returning to the main field.
Despite some strong chasing back in the peloton from Tolhurst, Tomlinson, the Rogers brothers and Simon Junakovic, the lead trio of Haas, Windsor and Skipper stretched their lead to 25 seconds.
Neil Skipper charges through a corner leading the break
As the laps counted down and the race entered its final stages, Haas surged down the front straight with two laps to go. Windsor marked the move quickly as did Skipper.
Half a lap later and spectators were treated to Haas again unleashing on his two breakaway companions. This time Haas hit the pace hard out of the saddle and accelerated up the back straight gapping Windsor and Skipper each by five lengths. Haas continued on with his move, powering in the saddle as Windsor and Skipper both valiantly clawed across the gap back to the wheel of Haas.As the bell lap sounded, the foxing commenced with Haas leading out the trio for the final lap of the Stromlo Forest Park course. Windsor bided his time in second and Skipper in third, as the main field increased their pace half a lap behind.
The leaders maintained their positions all the way round the final lap, keeping a wary eye on each other.
Haas exited the final corner first, lining up for the long final down hill straight to the finish. A moment of hesitation saw Windsor pounce on Haas, riding clear of him on the left hand side of the course. Haas reacted quickly, and in true mano-a-mano style, drag raced Windsor down the centre of the racing track.
Haas in grimacing determination managed to generate the power required and hauled Windsor back in, claiming the win with a big throw at the line to the tune of half a wheel. Skipper took third two lengths behind, while Micheal Tolhurst cleaned up the remaining spoils of the bunch in fourth place some twenty seconds later.
Haas out guns Windsor and Skipper in the charge to the line
1. Nathan Haas
2. Dean Windsor
3. Neil Skipper
4. Michael Tolhurst
5. Justin Tomlinson
6. Mark Harris
7. Fabio Calabria
8. Deane Rogers
9. Peter Rogers
10. Mitchell Lovelock-Faye
All photos courtesy of Greg Long Photography
No comments:
Post a Comment