Spratt brings top form to Cadel Evans race

Friday, 25 January 2019:

AMANDA SPRATT of Australia in action during the Elite Women's Road Race in Florence, Italy.
AMANDA SPRATT of Australia in action during the Elite Women's Road Race in Florence, Italy.


Amanda Spratt can talk about playing the game all she likes.

For all the uncertainty surrounding who will win the women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race, her form makes the Australian cycling star the rider to watch.

Spratt started the year by winning race one of the Bay Crits on January 1 and the Mitchelton-Scott team leader has not done much wrong since.

She was runner-up at the Australian road championships and then won the Santos Women's Tour for a third-straight year.

While Spratt is no certainty for Saturday's 113.3km race in and around Geelong, no one would dare bet against her.

"The history of this race shows that it can be quite unpredictable - there have been solo winners, small groups and bigger bunches arriving at the finish line," said Spratt, the 2016 winner.

"We have a strong team that can cover all of those scenarios so I'm looking forward to playing the game.

"I've had a good rest after Tour Down Under and even though I know my shape is good, I will also be more than happy to work hard to set up one of my teammates for a great result if that's how it plays out."

Lucy Kennedy and newly crowned Australian time trial champion Grace Brown would appear to be the teammates most likely to go for the win if it isn't Spratt.

Australian sprint ace Chloe Hosking is the defending champion and either she is not in shape to go back-to-back or is playing a big game of bluff.

Hosking targeted this race last year because the win meant automatic Commonwealth Games selection.

She went on to win the road race gold medal at the Games.

A year later, the Ale Cipollini sprinter said she is having a slower start to the season.

But the Tour de France champion who is responsible for the race still thinks Hosking is a chance.

"It's going to be really open and unpredictable again, which is what we want," Evans said.

"Chloe is still the one to beat but there are so many - we can look at all the past winners, add in five more names and we still might not pick the winner."






AAP






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