New Zealand?s Patrick Bevin (health.com.au/search2retain) and Queensland?s Ellen Skerritt (Holden Women?s Cycling) have claimed overall honours at the Vie National Capital Tour. Both Bevin and Skerritt claimed the opening stage time trial and climbed to top five placings on Honeysuckle on Saturday before consolidating their leads on the final day in Canberra. Men’s report? New Zealand?s Patrick Bevin (health.com.au/search2retain) has been crowed Vie13 Tour of Canberra champion after a strong display across the three day, four staged event. The Commonwealth Games track star impressed on Friday when he claimed the opening stage time trial before rallying to finish in fifth place atop of Honeysuckle on Saturday. ?It?s an amazing day, it?s the maiden Tour win for the Health.com.au/search2retain team, it?s a big step for the team,? said Bevin. ?I?ve just come back off a break from racing after the Commonwealth Games, and it?s only my second road race for three months. ?It wasn?t an easy Tour, it?s a great feeling.? Bevin took out the Tour ahead of Ben Dyball (Avanti Racing) and Subaru National Road Series leader Joe Cooper (Avanti Racing). With Parliament House in the background, Bevin consolidated his lead on the final day, finishing safely in the peloton on stage three before racing to second place in the concluding stage behind teammate and current para-cycling road world champion Alistair Donohoe. ?It?s a massive win for me, it?s my maiden stage victory and I couldn?t be happier to do it like I did,? said Donohoe. ?I didn?t even think until the last 400m that I?d even have a shot at taking the stage win, it?s still sinking in,? said Donohoe. Donohoe took out the stage ahead of Bevin and Ayden Toovey (NSWIS). ?Ayden Toovey was off the front and we had Cam Bayly and Brendan Canty chase him down, and then I just got to the front on the back straight and took both corners perfectly. It?s unbelievable,? he said. Earlier in the day, Queensland’s Jacob?Restall (CharterMason) claimed his first Subaru National Road Series stage.?Read stage three report here. The Subaru NRS continues with the Tour of Tasmania from September 30 – October 5. Women’s report? Gold Coast?s Ellen Skerritt (Holden Women?s Cycling) has claimed her maiden overall Tour victory, taking out the Vie13 National Capital Tour. Skerritt blitzed the opening time trial before showing her strengths on the queen stage of the three day Tour, cresting the climb to Honeysuckle in second place. The 19-year-old took out the Tour ahead of teammate and current Subaru National Road Series leader Ruth Corset while Canberra?s Alex Nicholls (Suzuki Brumby?s) finished third. ?I?ve never won a Tour before, it?s my first NRS win and I?m really happy. I?ve also moved up to second in the NRS standings so that?s a really big deal for me,? said Skerritt. Skerritt rode aggressively to secure the overall victory, claiming line honours in the final stage criterium after initiating a three-women breakaway on lap one of 40. Skerritt then attacked her breakaway companions on the bell lap to seal the win. ?It wasn?t exactly the plan to go first lap but we just happened to be in that position and it actually worked quite well,? she said. Teammate and fellow escapee Corset finished second on the stage while Canberra?s Allison Rice rounded out the podium – her third visit to the podium in four stages. ?I didn?t really expect to do so well this Tour so it was a nice surprise to see the form was there. The criterium was really hard today but I wanted to go out there and put it all on the line,? said Rice who was third in the time trial and second in stage three?s road race. Earlier in the day, 2013 criterium national champion Kimberly Wells (Specialized Securitor) took out stage three. Read stage three report here. The women’s Subaru NRS concludes?with the Tour of the Goldfields from October 17 – 19 in Ballarat. Images copyright?Fred Marzano
