Watch the Elite Men's Race live broadcast on SBS from 1.30pm AEDT today, and catch up with the post-race highlights and replay of the men's and women's races on SBS On Demand.
Chapman's attack saw her take the win by 31 seconds with a victory sure to set the tone for an exciting year with her new Trek-Segafredo trade team. Grace Brown (FDJ SUEZ Futuroscope) won the bunch sprint for silver as Chapman's teammate, and three-time national road champion, Amanda Spratt, came in third.
Only inches behind Brown and Spratt, Simpson rolled over the line in ninth overall securing the U23 title. Second place in the race within the race went to Mia Hayden (BridgeLane) who was twelfth overall. Hannah Seeliger (Cycling Development Foundation) rounded out the U23 podium in third.
"I’m very, very happy," said Chapman after the race. "I smell like champagne and I’m wearing the national champs jersey. It’s a pretty good day."
Chapman's winning attack was bolstered by knowing that Spratt was in prime position to sprint for the national title if Chapman was reeled in. Only no one could catch her.
"I kept saying to myself, 'OK, all the way, all the way, all the way. It’s not over ‘til it’s over.' You know? And, 'I can’t control what’s happening behind.' All I could control was my effort that whole time and I just pushed on," said Chapman.
"For me, my strength is to go long. I knew if it was going to come back, then I really backed [Spratty] to finish it off as well. So it was a really nice feeling knowing that I actually wasn’t alone out there – and she got on the podium, so that’s sweet!"
With near-perfect weather greeting the women's field for their 104.4km, nine-lap race of the Buninyong circuit, the peloton stayed together until the halfway point when a few early attacks started to test the legs, smarts and hearts of the star-stacked field.
As the weather heated up, so did the racing. The field fragmented on the climb with four laps to go when the pace lifted dramatically, showing for the first time who was in fighting form for the 2023 title.
Trek-Segafredo's Lauretta Hanson and Georgie Howe (Jayco AlUla) made the first notable attack that stuck, and built a gap of more than two and a half minutes heading into the famed and feared climb with three laps to go. The duo held a 44-second advantage one lap later as pressure built from behind.
Brown pushed the pace in the whittled-down chase group of around 15 riders including Ruby Roseman-Gannon, Amber Pate and Alex Manly (Jayco AlUla), Justine Barrow (Roxsolt Liv SRAM), Danielle de Francesco (ZAAF Racing), Ruth Corset (Townsvile Cycling Club), Josie Talbot (Cofidis) and Simpson.
Knowing her Trek-Segafredo team had multiple cards to play, Spratt looked comfortable on Brown's wheel, content to let Hansen vie for the win in the break.
Just before the one-lap-to-go mark, Corset, who had amassed enough points to win the Queen of the Mountains competition, crashed hard and lost sight of the bunch. Meanwhile, the remaining riders reeled in the two leaders who immediately took on the roles of super domestiques staying at the front of the group and working for their respective teammates.
Jayco-AlUla's Georgia Howe attacked just before the final lap then all of a sudden it was Chapman off the front in a counter-attack; a move that proved to be the one that won her the race.
Chapman led into final the climb with a gap of nine seconds. Then 11. Then 14. Then, with a largely downhill run to the finish, the mountain biker continued to skillfully extend her lead. Attacks from behind failed to stick costing the chasers more time overall, eventually forcing them to fight for the silver medal instead.
Looking behind her with about 400 metres to go and seeing the sizable gap for herself, Chapman knew she'd sealed the victory and celebrated the well-fought win all the way to the line.
Watch the Elite Men's Race live broadcast on SBS from 1.30pm AEDT today, and catch up with the post-race highlights and replay of the men's and women's races on SBS On Demand.
