BATHURST Cycling Classic overall short course victory for Hollee Simons and a long course podium for Jodie Martin were the highlights for home city riders during a big day's racing.
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Simons smashed the rest of the field in the 70 kilometre short course. Her time of one hour, 45 minutes and nine seconds put her almost three minutes clear of fellow Bathurst rider Laura Renshaw who finished runner-up.
Martin was the first 45-49 years rider home in the 110km long course event. Her time of 3:02:13 was strong enough for third overall - behind Rebecca Wiseak and Georgia Whitehouse - and added to her division victory in the previous day's hill climb.
The overall podium result was a shock to the system for Martin.
"I went into the race just as a warmup for the Grafton-Inverell coming up in May but I felt like I had good legs and I'd done alright in training but never did I think I'd cross that line third," she said.
"And when I crossed the line my front release on my wheel had come undone so I couldn't get out of the seat. I had to sit there and hope that my front wheel didn't fall out."
Martin knew on the ascent up Rockley Mount that she was within reach of a podium finish when she found a place alongside Whitehouse in a chase group.
"We had a group of eight that were working hard to try and catch that group that had Rebecca in it," she said.
"We got pretty close and I certainly take that third place against riders of that calibre any time."
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D2F Bathurst's Stephen Dunstall, Ryan O'Donnell and Jeremy Ryan were the champion long course team on the day with a combined time of 8:02:48.
Ryan was narrowly pipped for the top prize in the individual men's 45-49 years race where he was sixth in a sprint finish. Dunstall was 10th in the 35-39 years category.
Will Hodges (fifth), Brad Rayner (12th) and Craig Hutton (19th) gave Bathurst strong representation in the overall long course battle.
Bathurst's recent World Ironman Championships qualifier Peta Cutler was fourth in the 35-39 years long course division.
The men's short course was taken out by Tamworth's Luke Deasey (1:43:43).