Sam Welsford wins again in front of home crowd, but this time in unusual way

Sam Welsford claimed victory on Thursday in the Cadel’s Criterium. The Australian settled matters against Jensen Plowright and Matteo Sobrero in this alternative, heavily shortened version of the Surf Coast Classic. Welsford won in a sprint, but after an atypical and aggressive race dynamic.

In the week following the Santos Tour Down Under, it has been time for the Surf Coast Classic for several years now, but the organizer was forced to cancel the Wednesday and Thursday races due to ongoing bushfires. However, the women and men still competed on Thursday in two alternative, criterium-style races in Geelong.

Important to mention: this alternative race is not a UCI event and therefore does not officially count in the results. The men were set for a race (Cadel’s Criterium) covering fifty kilometers mostly over flat roads, so a bunch sprint was anticipated beforehand.

The race indeed ended in a sprint, but not from a large peloton. An elite group featuring several big names managed to break away halfway through the race and stayed clear in Geelong. Some notable riders in this lead group included Laurence Pithie, Rémi Cavagna, Fabio van den Bossche, Kelland O’Brien, and... Sam Welsford.