Can newly crowned Tour Down Under champs Jay Vine and Grace Brown continue their winning ways at this week’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race?
Locked in to compete in the UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s and UCI WorldTour Deakin University Elite Women’s races, both Vine and Brown will look to capitalise on their impressive form ahead of the first one-day classic of the 2023 calendar.
Vine, riding for UAE Team Emirates, executed a seamless ride in the ochre jersey on Sunday, riding to his third podium finish of the week and overall honours.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a 15-second advantage going into the final race, withstanding multiple challenges throughout the 112 km Mt Lofty circuit including an attack by eventual runner-up Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla).
It came down to Vine, Yates and Ben O’Connor inside the final two kilometres before Yates put the foot down.
Vine countered and even challenged for the stage win before the Brit came over the top in a two-man sprint for the finish.
“It’s incredible to stand here in the winner’s jersey,” Vine told press after the race.
“The team gave me the support all week, and I am so happy to be able to finish it off today. It’s so satisfying.”
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Vine’s triumph made it two from two for the Aussies after Brown’s impressive win in the women’s TDU on Friday.
Brown, from FDJ-SUEZ Futuroscope took the overall title following a brutal Corkscrew Road climb and frantic sprint against Trek-Segafredo’s Amanda Spratt.
Spratt carved out a 20-second lead on the ascent of the Corkscrew, before being reeled in and overtaken by the national and Commonwealth time trial champion on the last stretch.
It was thanks to the five bonus seconds earned in the intermediate sprints on stages one and two that helped her go one better than her second-place finish at last year’s TDU.
“I’m really pleased. The team did an awesome job today, they led me out into the final climb,” she said.
“I knew Amanda was going to be really good on the Corkscrew but I just kept her within distance, knowing that I could potentially catch her back on the descent, and I was able to do it.
“Having been in a similar situation last year where I lost the GC by one second in the final stage, I wanted to be on the front foot this week.
“Really cool to take this victory after some awesome work from my team.”
UAE Team Emirates Men’s line-up:
- Sjoerd Bax (NED)
- George Bennett (NZL)
- Alessandro Covi (ITA)
- Finn Fisher-Black (NZL)
- Marc Hirshi (SUI)
- Jay Vine (AUS)
- Michael Vink (NZL)
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