IT was always going to be a difficult task for Josh Corcoran to stay in touch with a red hot men’s under 23s road race field at the Road Nationals on Saturday, but the Bathurst rider can take heart in knowing he wasn’t alone in his struggles.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In searing hot temperatures at Ballarat Corcoran, in his first nationals road race, had to pull the pin on his race after five laps.
It made him one of 71 rides who failed to finish the race while 72 cyclists did see the chequered flag.
Melbourne Uni rider Cyrus Monk made his solo breakaway stick to win the event by 26 seconds ahead of James Whelan (Hawthorn), who won a sprint for the runner-up spot ahead of Michael Potter (Northern Sydney).
Cross winds and heat thinned out the peloton in the early stages of the 92.8 kilometre race.
A three man breakaway made up of Reece Tucknott, Ashley Mackay and Macgregor Carter broke away from the pack to open up a 44 second lead by the end of the opening lap.
Dylan Sunderland and defending champion Samuel Jenner instigated the chase before they were joined by Monk in their pursuit.
When the group caught the front runners Monk continued to surge ahead.
Monk was joined by Tucknott at the end of the seventh lap.
It is pretty hard to believe it has actually happened.
- Cyrus Monk
However, Monk broke away again and held his lead until the finish.
“It did not feel good out there when I first went – I was thinking it was quite stupid,” Monk said.
“I had just ridden up to Liam Magennis who was in that final selection with me and said, ‘I reckon we’re both looking okay for a sprint out of this group.’ Then I looked around 10 metres later and I had a little gap – that ended up being it.
“I have been trying to picture this every training ride for the past four months, so it is pretty hard to believe it has actually happened.”
