A crash in the final stage of the Women’s Tour Down Under on Sunday may have rattled Springwood cyclist Amanda Spratt, but it didn’t stop her riding to victory in her second consecutive title.
Hitting her chest and suffering abrasions, being a circuit race Spratt took a lap out to change bikes and compose herself.
“My team-mates and director were all calm around me so that helped me and I really have to thank them for getting me focused again really quickly,” she said.
“Crashing is just a part of bike racing so the pain is something we just deal with, and there was never a moment where I thought I wouldn’t keep riding, especially wearing the leader’s jersey.”
Held over four days in South Australia, Spratt said she couldn’t have won the title without the support of her Michelton-Scott team-mates. “I may be the one standing on the top step of the podium but I really couldn’t have done it without my five team-mates out on the road,” she said.
“We also had to really fight to get this win – the race attracted a top field this year with 12 international teams and a strong Uni-SA team and we had a big battle especially against my former team-mate Kat Garfoot.”
The course was lengthened this year, and included two hilltop finishes.
“Making the tour tougher makes it more professional and adds to the quality of the event ... within a few years it will be one of the biggest races we do,” the 30-year-old said.
Spratt has a week back in the Mountains before heading to Victoria for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on January 27.
