Hoskins Wins Chongming Tour in China

Western Australian Institute of Sport cyclist Melissa Hoskins has taken out overall honours in the three day Tour of Chongming Island wrapping up the crown with a win in the third and final stage.

Hoskins’ victory in the opening stage had given her the early lead but Italian Monia Baccaille (MCipollini Giambenini) took over the yellow jersey after winning the second stage.

“We went into the day only three seconds down on the race lead,” said GreenEDGE-AIS Sports Director Dave McPartland. “We had a plan to go hard, early, for the three intermediate sprints. We didn’t want to leave things until the final sprint even though it had the most bonus seconds. If we had gone for the intermediate sprints, the overnight leader [Baccaille] would have increased her lead.”

The three intermediate sprints offered up 3-2-1 seconds for 1st-2nd-3rd place. Following the plan outlined pre-race, GreenEDGE-AIS raced aggressively early and lined up their sprint train for the first intermediate sprint. Hoskins took top honors with Baccaille sprinting to second.

“The first intermediate sprint brought us back one second on Baccaile,” explained McPartland. “Mel was now two seconds outside the race lead.”

GreenEDGE-AIS gave a repeat performance for the second intermediate sprint, and Hoskins once again delivered.

“We had nearly the whole team bring Mel to the intermediate sprint line,” noted McPartland. “I could tell they were feeling good. Mel won the second intermediate sprint, and Baccaile was second again. This gave us back one more second, and Mel was now only one second from the race lead.”

Although the team had originally planned to contest the third intermediate sprint, the plan changed on the road.

“This is what impressed me,” explained McPartland. “They worked out on their own that there really wasn’t any point in going for the third sprint. I had worked this out in the car, too, but without radios I couldn’t communicate it to them. I was happy when they dropped back and shared the same conclusion I had realised. It wasn’t worth it to put the whole team on the front for the last intermediate sprint. If Mel won and Baccaile was second again, Mel would still need to win the stage to take the overall.”

Having decided to sit out the third sprint, GreenEDGE-AIS watched MCipollini Giambenini put their entire team on the sprint for Baccaille.

“Mel looked after herself on the final intermediate sprint,” McPartland said. “She followed the leader and ran third in the sprint. This gave Baccaille two seconds over Hoskins in the sprint and three on the general classification. Basically, we headed into the final in the same position that we had been at the start of the day except that Baccaille’s team had spent 100% of their energy on the third sprint while we held back.”

GreenEDGE-AIS controlled the closing kilometres to perfection.

“The whole team was fresh after having sat out the third sprint,” noted McPartland. “They lined it up and took control ten kilometres from the finish. They delivered Mel perfectly to the line. She won the stage, and with the bonus seconds available at the line, she won the Tour by one second. She had to win the stage to win the race, and she did it. It was an awesome team effort and great sprinting by Mel, as well.”

In the final classification Hoskins won by just one second from Baccaille with Belgian rider Liesbet de Vocht third overall at 26 seconds. Hoskins also wrapped up the points classification with a tally of 61, two more than Baccaille.

– Cycling Australia