2015 Santos Women’s Tour winner Valentina Scandolara (Alé Cycling) took a convincing victory on the first day of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic criteriums.
Even with an early victory celebration, the Italian won by several bike lengths over breakaway companions Shannon Malseed (solo) and Jessica Allen (ORICA-Scott) following an aggressive race around the hot dog circuit of Richie Boulevard.
“First of January. First win. Hopefully it will be a good year,” Scandolara said. “It was a pretty hard race but with an amazing team like Alé today, it was less difficult. ORICA did a really hard race, attacking at every moment. I had to make sure to jump on them as soon as possible.”
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Allen launched the attack that inspired the race-winning move in the final five minutes of the 45-minute criterium. Malseed was the first to follow. Ever-attentive at the front, Scandolara closed the gap to Malseed’s wheel. Within one lap of the 750-metre circuit, the trio had opened up six seconds over a tiring field.
Former Australian road champion and reigning Australian XCM MTB champion, Peta Mullens, racing for the first time with her new Hagens Berman Supermint squad, led the chase but her efforts were not enough to shut down the powerful trio.
“Shannon Malseed was the one working with me in the last breakaway and made it possible that we would stay away,” said Scandolara. “In the last corner, I made sure I took it first so that I could manage my sprint and do it how I wanted.”
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