It was a simply splendid performance today by Amanda Spratt who launched an audacius solo attack to claim the elite women's road race crown at the 2012 Mars Cycling Australia Road National Cycling Championships in Buninyong, near Ballarat.

Spratt, 24, crossed the line in 2:55:25 45 seconds ahead of her GreenEDGE-AIS teammate, South Australia's Tiffany Cromwell who edged fellow South Australian Rachel Neylan in a sprint to the line. Defending champion and winner of Thursday's criterium title, Alexis Rhodes (also with GreenEDGE-AIS) led home a chase group of ten riders to finish fourth.

"I can't believe it still I have been working so hard for this," said Spratt, the 2004 junior points race world champion on the track. "My mum was right on the side after the finish line and I was able to meet her and she was balling her eyes out, I was crying. I am so happy to have my family here to experience this with me."

The under 23 crown went to Jayco-AIS rider Sinead Noonan who placed 12th in the combined event but was the first rider in her category across the line. She was in the group at 1.30 to the winner while silver medallist Rebecca Werner and third best under 23 Rebecca Henderson were five minutes further back.

Seventy-eight riders started the race which was 10 laps of the 10.2 kilometre circuit, with the peloton staying mostly together for the first five laps.

The pace intensified over the second half of the race as the GreenEDGE-AIS team featuring Rhodes, Shara Gillow and Melissa Hoskins were joined by 2009 champion Carla Ryan and Team Jayco-AIS rider Gracie Elvin on the front. The increased pace took its toll and riders dropped from the bunch until less than twenty riders were left in contention for the medals.

In the final thirty kilometres Spratt attacked at the top of the Mt Buninyong climb none of her rivals could match her burst of speed. She gained more thank a minute before Neylan, closely followed by Cromwell, launched a counter attack but Spratt by then had a sniff of victory and was not going to be caught.

"I knew I had good form coming in, but here you also need luck on your side in this race," said Spratt who claimed her first UCI victory in 2011 winning the overall classification at the Gracia Olavia in the Czech Rebublic.

"When I went on the top of the climb, I got a gap straight away which kept growing, but I actually thought I was a little bit early, but I knew I had two strong team mates with me if it did come back together.

"I had the team car coming up and giving me the time gaps, but I didn't let myself think it was going to happen until probably the last kilometre.

The win comes after a two year period durng which Spratt's racing and training was hampered by knee and hip injuries that required surgery to reduce pressure from a sciatic nerve injury.

"I have had a couple of years out with a couple of niggles, but I am back in force and this is the biggest result I have had," Spratt said.

"The last two years now I have been able to get consistent racing, consistent training and finally step up the level I want to be at.

"There is still a lot of hard work to do to keep moving forward, but it is all going well," Spratt added.

Spratt was quick to praise her new team mates.

"I can't thank my teammates enough, we had a great team out there, they were looking after me all day and one of us won," said Spratt. "This is the great thing about this team, everyone backs each other up."

Source: www.cycling.org.au