Cameron Ivory solos to Australian criterium title
A surprise winner thanks to a daring last-minute attack.
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Former Australian cross country MTB champion Cameron Ivory (St George Racing) has added a national criterium title to his palmares.
At the start of the final lap on Ballarat’s Sturt St on Friday evening, Ivory burst away from a surging peloton and quickly established a lead. As the sprinters tried to get organised behind, 29-year-old Ivory managed to keep an advantage all the way to the finish line, taking a surprise win.
Alistair Christie-Johnston (Bridgelane) took second in the bunch sprint behind, just ahead of Cameron Scott (ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast).
As ever in the Nationals criterium there were plenty of attacks throughout the 40-lap race. The most promising move came a little over halfway through the race when Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (Bridgelane) and Ben Carman (Nero Continental) rode clear.
A seven-rider group later formed off the front, but that move had been neutralised by the time Ivory made his move.
Earlier in the afternoon Graeme Frislie (Inform TMX Make) won the U23 men’s criterium solo ahead of teammate Josh Duffy and Zachary Marshall (Saint George).