Georgia Baker wins Commonwealth Games women's road race

Georgia Baker (Australia) completed a dominant ride by the Australian women’s team to win the road race at the Commonwealth Games in the UK on Sunday.

Baker was way ahead of the opposition in a reduced bunch sprint finish with Neah Evans of Scotland taking the silver and Baker’s compatriot Sarah Roy holding on for the bronze medal to complete the podium.

“It was a real team effort. We had a race plan, it was for me to win, and they executed it so well,” Baker said after her win.

“I wish I could split this in six. It was a real credit to the team, I’m glad I could pull it off for them.”

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The win marked Baker’s third medal of this year’s Commonwealth Games after the rider won two events on the velodrome. The Team BikeExchange rider had the perfect leadout at the end of the 112km race with several teammates still in contention heading into the finale. Baker was also fourth in the women’s time trial earlier in the competition.

Australia set the pace for most of the final 10km, snuffing out several late moves from Canada and South Africa before turning their attention to the expected bunch sprint. The race saw a lack of activity in the early stages, mostly due to the flat nature of the lapped course, but also because of Australia’s determination to ensure that the race ended in a bunch kick.

Several early attacks were foiled with gaps kept at just a handful of seconds before Baker and her teammates turned the screw in the last few kilometres.

Baker had a near-perfect leadout in the sprint, timing her surge to the line to pull clear of a fast finishing Evans.