Georgia Baker blasts to second Austral Wheelrace win of her career

Georgia Baker has won the second Austral Wheelrace of her career from scratch at the Quest Ivanhoe 126th running of Australia’s oldest cycling race at Darebin International Sports Centre Velodrome in Melbourne.

Baker flawlessly navigated her way from her scratch start to the front of the race, winning ahead of Sophie Edwards and Keira Will.

The Tasmanian started alongside best friend and Liv AlUla Jayco teammate Alexandra Manly off scratch, with both of the ARA Australian Cycling Team stars joining the main bunch with three laps to go.

Georgia Baker has won the Quest Ivanhoe 126th Austral Wheelrace. Picture: Josh Chadwick

As Baker navigated her way through the frontmarkers, Manly tried in vain to find a way onto her wheel after finding herself boxed in below the blue line.

Baker quickly found herself in a prime position after going around the outside of the bunch and waited until one and a half laps to go before launching her race-winning attack.

Simultaneously, a crash bringing down Sally Carter, Nicole Duncan and Kiwi Caitlin Kelly split the bunch, providing Baker’s attack even more of an advantage.

Only Edwards and Will could follow the double silver medallist at this year’s world championships, with Baker holding off a late surge from Edwards to win.

Across a busy schedule of racing, other winners on Saturday included Thomas Cornish and Kristina Clonan in the UCI C1 keirins, while Taeho Choi and Kiwi Caitlin Kelly won the junior UCI keirins.

Two-time Paralympic gold medallist Matthew Gray won the Austral Para-cycling Wheelrace from 90m.

Blackburn Cycling Club juniors Alanah Lake and Benjamin Woods won the Junior Austral Wheelrace, with Lake doing so off scratch and Woods hanging tough as the lone front marker off 180m.

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Feature picture: Josh Chadwick