In a battle that went down to the wire, Amanda Spratt gave it everything she had to finish fourth at the Cycling Australia Road National Championships in Ballarat on January 7.
The elite women’s title was won by Shannon Malseed, 23, from Ballarat. With one lap to go in the 100km race, Spratt, from Springwood, said she bridged across to the lead, but a small group had caught her Michelton-Scott team.
“From there I was up against seven other riders – I tried to play to my strengths and attack on the final climb but I couldn’t get away,” the 30-year-old said.
“After that it was about saving what I had left for the sprint. I panicked a bit to catch [team-mate Katrin] Garfoot who was away and started my sprint too early, but that’s bike racing so I have to accept the decision I made in that moment.”
“As a team we did absolutely everything that we could have done to win the race so we walk away knowing we were just beaten by a few better riders on the day.”
Leaving that race behind her, Spratt was in Adelaide on Monday, focusing on preparations for her title defence of the four-day Women’s Tour Down Under which starts on Thursday.