Nicholson solos to Warrnambool Cycling Classic win

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Nicholson solos to Warrnambool Cycling Classic win

A well-timed solo attack inside the last 35km has given South *********** Katelyn Nicholson the win at the women’s Warrnambool Cycling Classic.

The 25-year-old rider with the Butterfield Ziptrak team finished 47 seconds ahead of British rider Frankie Hall (Praties) and *********** Josephine Pepper (Duda) was one minute 38 seconds behind the winner in third.

At 155.7km, the “Women’s Warrny” is billed as the world’s longest one-day race for women. Nicholson is the first rider to win in under four hours since the current race format was introduced in 2022, clocking three hours 51 minutes 37 seconds.

Victoria’s windy conditions on Sunday meant fast times as the race headed from Colac to Warrnambool.

*********** Talia Appleton (Praties) finished fifth to retain her lead after two races in the new ProVelo Super League, which has taken over as the top domestic road cycling series.

Nicholson was fourth last month in the road race and the time trial at Perth’s *********** road championships, but did not finish Adelaide’s Down Under Classic.

She also won the road race last year at the Oceania championships and will head to Italy this April with the Down Under Development team.

Nicholson and teammate Alii Appelton were in a five-rider break that had formed after 100km.

Appleton told Nicholson over the team radio “you gotta go” and she duly made the race-winning move.

“She is a very experienced racer, so I took a flyer and just had to hope for the best,” Nicholson said.

“When I looked back I got a gap and I just had to trust the training and the work that I’d put in, and try and pull it off for the girls … it’s very exciting to do it.”

On Saturday, Blake Agnoletto won the men’s Melbourne to Warrnambool, with former Sydney AFL player Ryan O’Keeffe finishing second in the 35-44 age group.

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