Mitchelton tour comes to thrilling end in Rhyll

Rhyll played host to the riders for the final stage of the Mitchelton Tour of Gippsland today (February 15), with warm, breezy conditions greeting the peloton.
On the fast criterium circuit, the women’s race began with a steady tempo, the teams of the sprint favourites and the overall contenders’ content to consolidate their positions within the race.

Surges from Matilda Raynolds (Inform TMX Make) and Josie Talbot (Sydney Uni-Staminade) were neutralised, with the intermediate sprints contested in the battle for seconds on the overall and the Simon Anderson Consulting sprint classification.
The final few laps were a battle of the sprint trains to position their fastest rider first in the line for the sprint.
The flat, fast finish was taken out in the end by Talbot who launched up the far side, forcing all that wanted to pass her to ride into the wind.

The Sydney Uni-Staminade rider outmuscled Maeve Plouffe (ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) and Amber Pate (Inform TMX Make) and to take the win.
Overnight race leader Howe finished in fourth, enough to take out the Mitchelton Tour of Gippsland overall after her superb solo win the day before.
“It took us three days to take the win but we got there in the end, we had riders on the front stringing it out and putting me in the perfect position, I just had to protect myself on the corners and make sure no one snuck up the inside,” said Josie.

“I sprinted up the inside, which was a bit more sheltered and managed to get the win.”

In other results, the Simon Anderson Consultants sprint classification was won by Plouffe, with Justine Barrow (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) taking out the Findex mountains classification, and Sophie Edwards (ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) winning the Warragul Crownlea young rider classification as the top Under 23 rider in the race.

Inform TMX Make won the teams classification for the race. 
The overall NRS standings saw a bit of a shake-up with Plouffe moving into the overall lead of the domestic series, with the ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast rider building upon her strong showing at the Festival of Cycling in South Australia, with another stage win and overall podium finish in Gippsland. ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast also took the overall lead in the NRS team standings, with 645 points to Knights of Suburbia’s 508.
In the men's it was the fast-finishing Cameron Scott (ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) who flashed home to take out Stage 3 of the Mitchelton Tour of Gippsland as Kane Richards secured the overall title with a strong ride on the final day criterium to confirm his overall race victory.
Richards didn’t shirk working for his teammate Scott, and was rarely far from the front of the peloton in the battle for position.