BATHURST Cycling Club’s Will Hodges was one of 43 riders who failed to reach the finish of a brutal Australian Road National Under 23s Men’s Road Race in Ballarat.
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The Cowra native, 19, was part of the large group of riders who were eliminated from the 132.6 kilometre race before the halfway mark.
A flurry of attacks in the opening three laps of the 13-lap race saw a 21-rider break emerge. Only seven other riders who missed that initial break would end up finishing the race.
The race was taken out by Sam Jenner in the scorching 30-plus degree heat thanks to an impressive solo breakaway effort with three laps still to ride.
The 19-year-old Subaru-NSWIS cyclist, who spent the 2016 season in Europe with the Jayco-AIS World Tour Academy, timed his attack to perfection inside the final few laps of the 10.2km course.
"I thought I'd just back myself and that’s all I could do really, but it was a bit touch and go there," Jenner said.
"The whole last lap I was cramping up. I had to sort of stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, all the way up the climb and then as soon as I finished the line I couldn't stand. Like every time I went to get up I cramped and fall back down.
"It's weird. You can sort of feel it but when you know there is a gold medal on the line you just push yourself and it just seems all the pain goes away."
Alex Porter finished in second while a fast-finishing Lucas Hamilton was forced to settle for third.
