Injury meant Lucie Stewart's preparation for the Lochard Energy Warrnambool Women's Cycling Classic was far from ideal but it meant little when she crossed the line first on Sunday.
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The 19-year-old ARA Skip Capital rider won the 160-killometre race from Colac to Warrnambool in a time of four hours, two minutes and 39 seconds - six seconds ahead of second-placed Josie Pepper (Butterfields Racing) and 10 seconds before third-placed Amanda Poulsen (Team Bridgelane).
Stewart, from Melbourne, finished fourth in last year's edition and was ecstatic with the result in warm, sunny conditions.
"It feels absolutely amazing," she told The Standard.
"We had so many options going in so I think three years in a row ARA's got the win. I think we were all pretty confident as a team going in and my role was to follow moves and once we established a good gap it was all in for the breakaway."
The young talent wasn't expecting to perform so well after a broken collarbone restricted her training during most of January.
"I've just been on the ergo (ergonomic bike), so I was really unsure of my form and we were backing our older sprinters for the win so it was a good team effort I think," she said.
"I've had just over a week back on the road so it was all up in the air, that's why my role was just to follow moves early on and see how I feel."
Stewart, who also took out the best young rider prize, was part of a four-rider early breakaway that began with around 110 kilometres to go and lasted for almost the remainder of the race.
There were around six kilometres to go when Stewart pulled the winning move and broke away from the quartet that included Pepper, Poulsen and Cycling Development Foundation's Sophia Sammons, who placed fourth.
"It was quite a long day out there," she said.
"It was never the plan to get in a move that early but I think (because) we had all the bigger teams represented the bunch sort of let us go.
"It was just a case of staying hydrated and keeping up the nutrition and whoever had the legs in the end I think (would win)."
Stewart praised the race, in it's third year.
"It's a great race, it's such a good show of women's cycling and I think they always put on a brilliant event here and the girls always put on a good performance," she said.
Pepper was awarded the queen of the mountains jersey while Poulsen clinched the sprint jersey.
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
