EDMONDSON CLAIMS CRITERIUM CROWN

An Olympic medallist, three-time world and seventeen-time national champion on the track, Annette Edmondson added a maiden road title to her resume after winning the elite women’s criterium at the 2021 Federation University Road National Championships in Ballarat.

As they have multiple times on the track in the team pursuit, Edmondson worked in unison with her Australian Cycling Team women’s track endurance teammates in Alex Manly, Georgia Baker and Ashlee Ankudinoff to seal the win.

“I really wanted to make this one work; I didn’t know if it might be my last opportunity,” Edmondson said. “So, I put my hand up to be the lead-out and luckily I had a really strong team in Ash Ankudinoff, Alex Manly and Georgia Baker who allowed me to just focus on myself at the back, relax as much as possible and trust they would control the bunch and luckily my legs were good enough at the finish.”

Edmondson was ahead of a crash which brought down several riders in the sprint to the finish, and after holding the wheel of Manly, an impeccably timed sprint to the line saw Edmondson take the win ahead of ARA’s Ruby Roseman-Gannon, with reigning champion Chloe Hosking (Trek Segafredo) rounding out a stunning podium.

“I didn’t see the crash as I was on second-wheel behind Alex but I looked back and there was quite a big gap so that meant there wasn’t going to be a big swarm at the finish line,” Edmondson explained. “We were able to stall it and wait as long as we could then Ruby kicked, and I had to go.”

The win even more special for Edmondson following a tough year which saw the cancellation of racing and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“It’s been a really tough twelve months so we’ve just tried to keep the head on as much as we can and keep pushing each week to week and train as if everything is going ahead,” said Edmondson. “I’m at the end now, I didn’t realise I was at the end until the Olympics got postponed and since then it’s just been really tough to try and motivate ourselves without any racing when that’s all we used to do.”

Maeve Plouffe was awarded gold in the under 23 classification after finishing fourth across the line behind the three elite podium placegetters, amazingly recovering from a crash early in the race.

“It’s a really hectic race when we combine the elite women and the under-23 It adds a whole new dynamic to it because you’re potentially sprinting for fourth like it’s first which is what I was doing today,” said Plouffe.
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“I was a little bit shaken after that crash I’m not going to lie, especially around that bottom corner, but I’m super happy I didn’t give up in the last straight”