Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Amber Pate has caught the peloton napping, combining with youngster Keira Will for a daring breakaway that decided the Australian women’s criterium title.
She first broke away with Will early in the Friday twilight street circuit race, held at the inner-Perth suburb of Northbridge.
Pate then successfully attacked again late, having plenty of time to celebrate as she soloed to the win.
It is the second national criterium title for the 29-year-old Liv AlUla Jayco rider and comes a day after she finished runner-up to Brodie Chapman in the Australian time trial championship.
Pate and Will were so dominant that the 50-minute race was shortened by 10 minutes, given they were about to lap the field.
Two-time Olympic track cyclist Maeve Plouffe won the sprint for third place, before Pate had her ceremonial finish and Will crossed the line 19 seconds behind.
Along with finishing second overall, Will also claimed the national under-23 title in her first Australian championships up from the juniors.
“I knew I could go long, but I didn’t know how long I could go long for,” Pate told SBS.
“I’m a bit tired from the time trial, but I knew I had ‘long’ in me and I just thought, let’s keep fighting.
“I’m really proud to pull it off for the team. We all went in with the right mindset, any of us could have won.
“It just worked out really well. She (Will) is a fantastic little rider.”
It is the fourth-straight year Liv AlUla Jayco have claimed the women’s criterium title, with Ruby Roseman-Gannon also winning last year with a breakaway, and in 2022.
Pate also won the 2024 title.
She and Will successfully attacked about 12 minutes into the race. Roseman-Gannon and the rest of the Liva AlUla Jayco riders controlled the peloton as the duo steadily built a lead of more than a minute.
At 37 minutes, Pate attacked her young breakaway companion on a corner to ensure the win.
With the two leaders then closing on the peloton, officials used their discretion to cut the race short.
The elite men’s criterium was also to be decided, while earlier on Friday, John Carter took out the men’s under-23 race.
