Cycling: Double for Millward

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Australia's top road cyclist, Anna Millward, was again too good for a strong international women's field when she won the second leg of the World Cup in Hamilton yesterday.

In a six-rider finish after 17 laps of a testing 6.3km circuit around Hamilton's lake, Millward held on in a desperate sprint to pip Dutch star Mirjam Melchers, in a repeat of the first race in Canberra the previous weekend.

World champion Zinaida Stahurskaia, of Belarus, finished third - up from 13th in the tour opener - ahead of Australian national team member Sara Carrigan and New Zealander Sarah Ulmer.

The American world time trial champion Mari Holden rounded out the leading bunch, who finished over five minutes clear of the 20-strong main bunch.

After an early spill in which six riders went down, there was little action until a Melchers-led attack up the short but sharp Thackeray St climb on the eighth lap split the field.

By the end of the lap, six riders had stretched their lead to 42s. Ulmer's New Zealand team-mates did their best to control things at the front of the chasing bunch.

Increasing their advantage by about one minute a lap, the leaders rode away in the middle stages to enjoy a 5m 48s lead with a lap to ride.

Millward, who said she found yesterday's race much harder than the first leg, was left in front a long way from the finish.

"I was very nervous about that sprint. It was pretty tense out there," she said.

"Even though I have been sprinting very well, I still wasn't too confident. Mari jumped after me with 300m to go and I thought they were all going to come over me."

The 29-year-old, who was fourth in the time trial and individual road race at last year's Olympics, held Melchers off by about half a wheel to collect the maximum 75 World Cup points.

She now leads Melchers by 50.