Chloe McConville: 2013 Shipwreck Coast Classic

Peloton Cafe || 2013 Shipwreck Coast Classic
Peloton Cafe || 2013 Shipwreck Coast Classic (image copyright Mark Gunter)
By?Chloe McConville?-?@chloemc87 The Shipwreck Coast Classic is a true ?hard-woman?s course?. It entails 128km on very exposed roads down on the rugged coastline near Warnambool. It?s tough in good conditions. Add to that 50kph crosswinds and rain and you have yourself a very long day! ?For this race it was time to get back into my Jayco-Apollo VIS kit and join team mates Taryn Heather, Jessica Mundy and our new recruit and current NRS leader Katrin Garfoot. This was the first NRS race back for Taryn and myself after returning from our end of season breaks, nothing like jumping back in at the deep end! The aim of the day was to try to set someone up for the win, but also to protect and if possible increase Kat?s lead in the overall NRS. The first few kilometres started off aggressively as I forced the pace into the crosswinds. It only took 4km for a break to form including our Jess Mundy, alongside Nic Whitburn (Pensar), Kristy Glover (Target Trek), Emily Roper (Suzuki) and Shannon Malseed (Holden). With 5 of the major teams represented and all appearing to be happy with the combination of riders, the break was let go relatively quickly. Bicycle Superstore and Seight Development Teams had missed the break and attempted to bring things back. However, with such strong cross winds and no help from the represented teams they soon realized the break was going to stick. Taz and I made sure Kat was protected in the bunch and covered any threatening moves by Ruth Corset (Pensar) who was sitting 2 points behind Kat in the overall standings. We couldn?t afford for her to gain the 1 point available for 6th place by riding off the front, which she is capable of doing. Meanwhile, Jess was hard at work at the pointy end trying to set herself up for the win. She made several attacks towards the finish hoping to ditch the quick finishing Nic Whitburn, however it was all together coming into the final kilometre. Jess did a great job to finish in 2nd?place behind Nic. Little J-Mundy is one of the toughest racers I know, many people probably don?t realize she is only 19, her first year in the senior ranks and she rolled every turn in a 124km break away. Pretty damn impressive stuff! ?Kristy Glover picked up 3rd?. Nearly 7 minutes later the peloton came through, with Kat picking up the bunch kick 6th?place and 1 more vital NRS point and me in 9th?. All in all a very successful day for the Jayco-Apollo VIS Women?s Road Team, with Jess? podium place and an extra NRS point for Kat. We also won the teams classification for the day. Next up is the final NRS for the season with the 3-day Goldfields Tour in Ballarat. Hopefully we can keep the NRS leader?s Jersey on Kat?s back and also collect some stage wins along the way. Until Goldfields! Chlo

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