Sunderland’s sprinting ability was on display when it mattered most as he easily accounted for Dyball in the run to the finish and made it third time lucky in the 110-kilometre event. 

In the final kilometres the duo had broken away from Liam Magennis (NSWIS), who rolled across in third.

Sunderland, 20, had attempted the B2B on two previous occasions, each time scoring a top 10 finish.

This time it all came together.

Dyball (Mobius Future Racing) might be renowned for his time trialling and climbing ability, but Sunderland (State Of Matter MAAP) considered himself the stronger competitor in sprinting.

“I took note of the guys who were in the breakaway and I knew that it wasn’t the strongest breakaway,” he said.

“All the favourites were still in the bunch and I felt pretty safe sitting where I was. Gauging off yesterday’s racing and previous races, I knew I had a much better sprint than Ben and I was happy not to attack him and ride for the sprint finish.”

Sunderland was active in the early stages of the race but when the first of the day’s breakaway attempts stuck at the 20 kilometre mark he wasn’t a part of it. A group of six riders had got out to a gap as large as one minute and 16 seconds 60 kilometres into the race.

Magennis unsuccessfully attempted a solo break off the front of the breakaway group.

When the gap from the chasing group to the breakaway was down to a minute, Sunderland and Dyball attacked to join the leaders.

“I’m still feeling good and quite fresh after that and didn’t have to do too much in the race. I was able to sit fresh until the climb,” Sunderland said.

“I knew Mobius, GPM and Swiss were going to try and put someone in the breakaway so I thought I would take a different approach and sit back knowing that they’d be expecting me to chase it. 

“It worked in my advantage with Mobius getting worried with the rider that they had put in the breakaway and they started chasing their own rider.”

On the Rockley Mount climb, Sunderland and Dyball made their move to the front stick, and Peter Livingstone was dropped.

Magennis was the first man over the top of Rockley Mount and earned himself the day’s King of the Mountain title, but there was plenty of racing still to come. 

A group of four riders were left out in front going over the peak of the day’s climb – Dyball, Sunderland, Magennis and Brodie Talbot.

St George Merida rider Talbot, team- mate of Bathurst’s Harry Carter, was left behind on the run back into Perthville.

Magennis was then left behind inside the last five kilometres, making it a race in two.

Rylee Field attempted a late attack on Magennis for the final spot on the podium but had to be content with fourth. Carter finished as the first Bathurst rider home in sixth place.