Cycling: Bunch lets champion break away to win

A muddled response by the main bunch in yesterday's road race let Sarah Ulmer slip away with an Oceania cycling championships double in Wanganui.

Ulmer, who won Saturday's 40km time trial, clocked three hours 17 minutes 7.37 seconds to win the 93km road race. Her nearest rivals were New Zealand teammates Susie Wood, 36s behind, and Toni Bradshaw, 1m 56s adrift.

Michelle Hyland (Waikato) and Bradshaw made the early break from the first lap and were joined at the 10km mark by Wood. Hyland finished fourth.

Ulmer, who had contented herself with short spurts up the road before coming back, saw the chance just before the steep Kai Iwi Hill climb and accelerated to join the leading trio and from there, the game was over.

The Australian contingent, with the experienced Rochelle Gilmore and Kathy Watt, failed to react and the leading foursome had built a 52s lead by the end of the first 22.5km lap.

As the number of available laps decreased, and the leaders were disappearing, Gilmore at one point dropped back to whip up some enthusiasm from teammates Jenny MacPhershon and Jennifer Manefield as well as veteran international Kathy Watt, riding in Victorian colours and Toireasa Gallagher of New South Wales.

But apart from a token effort, they were pulled back into the bunch and it was obvious the winners would come from the leading four.

Watt finally came awake in the final lap and made a fierce effort to get to the front but in the end was fifth behind Hyland, both riders credited with 3m 37s behind the winner.

Ulmer said she decided to go after the three riders in front as it looked a dangerous break, but no one else saw that.

"It was good teamwork among the four of us," Ulmer said. "The girls looked after me in the later stages when I was struggling a bit, but I took a breather and found my legs again."

"Yes, I am a bit surprised the bunch didn't react."

Wood said it had been a hard race with cross winds and head winds and "all kinds of winds" and conceded she didn't have much in the tank when Ulmer raised her pace in a push for home.

"Sarah was pretty strong in the last 15 kilometres and we were pretty much hanging on really," Wood, 28, from Marlborough, said.

- NZPA