A disappointing tenth place in Thursday's national time trial provided the platform for Jack Bobridge's long raid to claim a second road title following his 2011 triumph. Bobridge returns to the WorldTour ranks this season, having signed with Trek-Segafredo, balancing a racing programme that will allow him to target the team pursuit gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games.
Having started his season early with track racing, Bobridge was an outside favourite for the road race although his form and condition for a long hot day in the saddle was unknown. Dropping breakaway companion Bernie Sulzberger (Drapac) in 33 degree heat with almost half the race to go was the ultimate test of his condition.
"I honestly didn’t think going that far from home I’d be able to hold on on this course," Bobridge reflected on the win. "This course is brutal, the time gaps stayed the same and even went out a little bit so probably four, five laps from home I could probably do this if I keep riding smart."
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Having infiltrated the breakaway of the day, Bobridge added that his performance against the clock was providing plenty of added motivation to start his Trek-Segafredo career on the road with a victory.
"I wanted redemption after Thursday. To be honest, I trained more than over before for the time trial on Thursday but it just didn’t go my way. I had one of them days when the body just didn’t want to work. Everyone has them days but I was pretty annoyed with Thursday," Bobridge said.
In 2013 Luke Durbridge went long in his bid for the win while Bobridge's 2011 solo effort was a third of today's at 30km. However neither effort can match Bobridge's feat of leading the bike race from lap two of the 183.2km race.
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