ProVelo Super League: Jack Ward seals victory as Marriage wins Q Tour

Nineteen-year-old Victorian Jack Ward (Team Brennan p/b TP32) has won the inaugural men’s ProVelo Super League after a final stage victory at the Q Tour.

Ward summited the Campbells Pocket climb ahead of Zachary Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing), who despite winning the Q Tour’s general classification had to settle with the runner-up spot on the PSL leaderboard.

Ward, meanwhile, will be rewarded for topping the U23 and overall League with a stagiaire contract with Team Jayco AlUla.

The PSL finale began in Brisbane with Ward leading by just 43 points ahead of Marriage. The gap had narrowed after Ward missed the Grafton to Inverell in order to compete at the GWM Mountain Bike National Championships.

Cameron Scott sprinted to win from the breakaway on Stage 1.

The Q Tour marked the end of the first edition of the PSL, and the start of the Brisbane Cycling Festival.

Stage 1, a criterium under lights at Brisbane’s South Bank, was raced expertly by CCACHE x BODYWRAP. The blue-clad team placed two riders in the successful breakaway of seven, including top sprinter Cameron Scott, who won two stages and the overall at the Harbour City GP.

Despite a late jump by mountain biker Scott Bowden, Scott sprinted to the stage win ahead of Liam Walsh in a team one-two. Scott also went into the leader's jersey as the breakaway finished 20 seconds behind.

Stage 2 was a short individual time trial where Marriage put his best foot forward, winning the stage at an average of 46km/h.

Zac Marriage was fastest in the 8.6km time trial.

Stage 3’s road race saw an aggressive start where a breakaway of 14 riders established after an hour of attacks. From the lead group, Tynan Shannon (Team Royal Bikes) and Elliot Schultz (Cobra9 X Leigh Surveyors) managed to get away to contest a two-up sprint, where Shannon took his first PSL win and the GC lead.

Tynan Shannon won Stage 3 from the breakaway.

Stage 4 was the decisive queen stage with a hilltop finish. An early move of 17 riders included  Shannon, who was using offence as the best form of defending his lead. After Butterfields Ziptrak controlled the gap, Team Brennan came to the front with 30km remaining and mowed  down the gap, setting up a head-to-head showdown on the Campbells Pocket climb between Ward and Marriage.

Marriage was able to hold onto Ward’s wheel, but couldn’t match his sprint to the line. Ward surged ahead, taking an emphatic win while Marriage sealed the general classification behind.

In the women's Q Tour, Alli Anderson took the overall win.

Results: SumUp Men’s Q Tour

Stage 1

1. Cameron Scott (CCACHE x BODYWRAP)
2. Liam Walsh (CCACHE x BODYWRAP)
3. Scott Bowden

Stage 2

1. Zac Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing)
2. Tristan Saunders (Team Brennan p/b TP32)
3. Conor Leahy (CCACHE x BODYWRAP)

Stage 3

1. Tynan Shannon (Team Royal Bikes)
2. Elliot Schultz (Cobra9 x Leigh Surveyors)
3. Matthew Lambert (Tandem Co Pro Cycling)

Stage 4

1. Jack Ward (Team Brennan p/b TP32)
2. Zac Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing)
3. Nicholas Thompson (Velofit – Define Property)\

General Classification

1. Zac Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) 5:55:38
2. Jack Ward (Team Brennan p/b TP32) +17
3. Scott Bowden +50

SumUp Men’s League – Final Standings

1. Jack Ward (Team Brennan p/b TP32) 515 pts
2. Zac Marriage (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) 494 pts
3. Tristan Saunders (Team Brennan p/b TP32) 309 pts

Photos: Con Chronis / ProVelo Super League