La course en ligne des Championnats d'Australie a été très ouverte ce dimanche. En anticipant très loin de l'arrivée comme l'avait fait la jeune Lucinda Stewart sur la course féminine, Luke Durbridge, local de Perth, s'est retrouvé en tête avec son leader Luke Plapp, revenu de derrière. Grand seigneur, le champion national du chrono a laissé Durbridge s'imposer devant son public et remporter un deuxième titre de champion d'Australie sur la course en ligne, 12 ans après celui de 2013.
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00:00And they're off for the 2025 Elite and Under 23 Women's Road Championships, the first time
00:14here in the city of Perth, a huge investment by the Tourism Western Australia. They were
00:19absolutely desperate to get this race over here and they've locked it in for three years.
00:23Already it's been a big success. We can see a lot of riders out there watching already,
00:28a lot of fans on the sidelines. There's a lot of people that have finished the Grand
00:32Fondo this morning will be sticking around for the rest of the day to watch some of their
00:35heroes racing out on the road. It is looking more and more almost certain that the winner
00:41is going to come from these top five. There's an interesting thing playing out though in
00:46this group of five because the two riders here at the back, number 74 from Pratties,
00:50that's Sophia Sammons, the rider behind her, number 62, both of those women are also in
00:55the Under 23 category. So regardless of the outcome of the five, they will be battling
01:00it out to see who will win the green and gold for their category. But you can imagine they
01:04want that Elite jersey.
01:06Bollio's been a bit distanced, Nicholson too.
01:10This is where you have to make those split second decisions. I need to ride myself back
01:14into this race to that group of two just getting away from me. Simpson, she's decided that
01:18she wants to remain on the front. That's dangerous. Lucinda Stewart, she is the fastest of this
01:23group.
01:24Absolutely, Stewart there in the Livellula kit. She is desperately hanging on to the
01:28wheel of Simpson. They are approaching the finish line, just 100 metres to go. You can
01:32see Bollio, the home turn favourite, trying to accelerate past the wheel. Stewart now
01:37coming round the corner. Could she take this victory for Livellula? Incredible performance
01:42there by the young rider, Lucinda Stewart, racing for the Continental team. A completely
01:48surprise victory for this team. They would have predicted someone else take the victory.
01:56Yes! I knew you had the sprint, Ben! I knew you had the sprint, I knew you did!
02:14That was hard. We always knew it was going to be a bit tricky with brakes going and it
02:20definitely caused it through the brakes. I knew I had to be up there. I literally was
02:24feeling so bad the first half but I rode into it a bit. It was sort of comforting knowing
02:29that Amber was trying to get across and the girls were doing a really good job in the
02:33front. I'm happy to be able to pull it off.
02:36No, this is going to be a very tough day but it's not a race of attrition. It's a race
02:40where you do have to go off the front. But you can't just roll around off the front.
02:45You have to put your pressure on the pedals. These two riders out front, Durbridge and
02:50Durbridge, they are extending on their advantage. It's stabilised at about that two minute
02:54mark so they've just settled into their rhythm and the race is exploding behind.
02:58Here he comes. We're about to see what his lap time is on this occasion. He's been out
03:03there since the very beginning of the race, dousing himself in water to try and stop the
03:08engine from overheating. Exactly the same time, in fact six seconds quicker than the
03:15previous lap. So Durbridge has not faded on that one.
03:19Well you saw the lap board. Three more laps to go. Three big climbs. Three times through
03:24Kings Park. Luke Durbridge though, he was the one who took the initiative on lap one.
03:30It was a bit of disappointment in the time trial. He came close to the criterium. Kings
03:35Park is erupting. Durbridge with a look of disbelief. It's time to start celebrating.
03:42Turbo Durbo has done it again. He is your Australian Road Champion.
03:50Plenty of power and even more heart. He blows kisses to his adoring fans. Jubilation time.
03:59Durbridge goes out on top.
04:06What an extraordinary ride.
04:11They still have a bronze medal to be won here. They are in the finishing straight.
04:18They are in singles.
04:31That was amazing. I just want to say thanks to the whole team. What they did behind me,
04:37not just Plappie, but everyone behind was just blocking the whole day. Which allowed
04:43me to just do my ride. I laid it out there pretty early. Maybe a bit too ambitious. But
04:49that's sort of the way I race. When Plappie came past he said hold the wheel. So I held
04:55the wheel and he gave it to me. He's a gentleman and I really appreciate that. I won't ever
05:00forget that. So I just want to say thanks to my team mates. Greenwich boys. It's my
05:05family. It's always been my team. I'm just really proud to wear this jersey.