Kiwi young gun Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez) has capped off an incredible week, becoming the first cyclist to win both the mid-week race, the Surf Coast Classic – Women and coveted Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Women title in the same week.
Wollaston claimed victory in a bunch sprint similar to her win in the Surf Coast Classic on Wednesday, once again showing off her sprinting prowess and narrowly edging out Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) and Noemi Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly).
The damage done by wind, echelon, climbing and hills was not enough to keep Wollaston out of contention, with the other teams not doing enough to dislodge her, this ultimately paved the way for her to win in a classic sprint finish and she was always going to be the one to beat.
EF Education – Oatly were very active in trying to set up their better climbers throughout the race, using their forces earlier than other teams.
Riders from Liv AlUla Jayco, Lidl – Trek and CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto waited longer to attack and set up their chances in the last lap and a half.
FDJ – Suez did just enough to keep Wollaston in contention with riders that could keep her in the finish, they once again proved what they have shown since the beginning of the season, that they are an organised collective with a team mentality.
Click here to watch the race replay
Top Race Results:
- Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez)
- Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ)
- Noemi Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly)
- Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto)
- Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco)
Click here for full race results
Queen of the Mountain:
Niamh Fisher – Black (Lidl – Trek)
Mapei most combative rider:
Stine Dale (Team COOP – REPSOL)
Q&A from Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez)
Run us through the last lap. You were dangling on the back of the bunch at Challambra on the final lap – was that a tactical move or were you at your limit?
“I actually felt super comfortable – it’s just me trying to find my own space, trying to mentally switch on before the last climb. I knew it would be an all out effort to get over the second time so I wanted to get into my own space and the right mental space before heading up the second time. We were riding pretty easy to be honest in between the laps and I knew it would be all out on the climb. I knew I had to move up right in the last run up to the climb and I did that, and I actually felt super strong today so to make it over a second time was a really happy surprise today.”
It was the first block of racing with a new team. How’s the transition been?
“It’s been really, really cool. I feel really comfortable in this team and we’ve grown so much in the space of two weeks – we made a few mistakes in South Australia. We didn’t get bad results but we didn’t quite get the results that we wanted. We took some really key learnings from there and it made us hungrier this week. I really felt that the team had a real collective buy-in today. The same as the Surf Coast Classic, we were all really motivated today, and today suited us really well as a team. To have three girls make it over the second time in the climb in the top ten was pretty special and I knew in that moment we had a really good chance of winning today. I’ve felt really comfortable in the team.”
When you started off the season, did you expect to be here at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on the top step, or was it something that built? Did you become more of a team supportive rider in this race given your performance in the run up?
“I think I was always going to be a back-up plan today, and I still was this morning. We went all in for Elise and the second time up Challambra she was so strong. It was really hard to make it over Challambra the second time on Dygert’s wheel and I knew I was in for a good shot. I think the team have a lot of confidence in me, but at the start of the year, I knew on a good day this would be a really good race for me, and I’ve tried really hard in previous years to not pigeon hole myself into being just a sprinter. I think today proves that I’m not just a sprinter, I don’t particularly enjoy hectic bunch sprints so if I can figure out a way to be the strongest sprinter at the end of a really hard race, that’s kind of the rider I hope to be in the future, so I think today was a step into the right direction for sure.”
Q&A from Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ)
Can you talk a little bit about coming into the straight in that last group and knowing you had Ally Wollaston in there?
“Yeah, of course I was hoping that there were three people in the climb, but when I saw her (Wollaston) riding the first time in the climbs I thought she’s in a good situation. We also saw this of course, last week in the other race. Luckily we had two riders in the first group of 15 riders, so we had Dominica attack in the last bit when she climbed to try to stop Ally instead. Ally is so strong that she could hang on, it was a gamble in the final for me to get myself to the podium.”
Did you and the team have some confidence coming in knowing that you had another top performer from last year on the squad as well?
“I was looking for a result today because in the Tour Down Under I had a flat in the climb, so because of that luck, I was really hoping that today would work out. I’m grateful for my teammates, they made me really calm, it was really hard for me because normally I like to race aggressively but then we had to raise a class today. I think we were in a relaxed situation with the team and to come second, I think we can be happy with this.”
How have you found racing in Australia? Some good results this week.
“Yeah, absolutely. I’m super, happy, I think I can go home now with a really good feeling. After the Tour Down Under I felt that I could go home happy, but now to finish it off with another podium is amazing.”
After your result in Adelaide could you relax?
“Yeah, on one hand side, I was like I know that I am in really good shape so I could come here with a lot of confidence, but also at the same time we had the pressure because I’m not the underdog anymore. People now know that I’m strong, they know they have to watch out for me, so I knew the pressure was a bit higher and I had to stay calm and try to just focus on my job and and enjoy the race.”