It's all yellow for Tour of the Goldfields leader Nettie Edmondson
OLYMPIAN Nettie Edmondson had some bad news to pass onto one her best friends after donning the leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour of the Goldfields at Burrumbeet today.
Edmondson had to tell her that she would not be flying back to Adelaide tonight for the friend’s 21st birthday.
“I was supposed to be making a speech.”
Edmondson said she had booked a flight just in case she and her team, the South Australian Sports Institute, were out of contention.
She said she would have made a late dash to get to the party if major honours were out of the question.
It was clear even well before she crossed the line though to take out stage three, a 58km road race, that the birthday party was off the agenda.
As well as leading the tour, SASI is second in the team classification, just seven seconds behind Jayco/Apollo VIS going to tomorrow’s testing 99km road race at Snake Valley to finish the tour.
Edmondson began the third stage in second position, two seconds behind new leader Lisa Jacobs (Victoria).
Just nine seconds separated the top six riders.
Edmondson told The Courier that intermediatesprints and Queen of the Mountain points would be important in determining who finished the second day of the inaugural Tour of the Goldfields in yellow.
Edmondson said an early breakaway changed the complexion of the race.
National Road Series leader Ruth Corset won the first sprint and hill climb.
After the gap was closed down though, Edmondson was able to take out the second and final sprint to claim the yellow jersey on the road.
And that is where it stayed after she out-sprinted Chloe McConville and Corset in a hectic dash to the line.
Lisa Jacobs, who took the yellow jersey after helping the Victorian Institute of Sport to victory in the team time trial this morning, finished two seconds away in 12th position.
She is now third overall, with the consistent McConville second.
Edmondson said her team had done a great job in today’s road race, keeping her protected on a course which suited her.
Stage four (three 33km laps) starts and finishes in Snake Valley. With the start at 11am.
STAGE 3
BURRUMBEET
58km ROAD RACE
TOP 10
Nettie Edmondson 1:33.20
Chloe McConville same time
Ruth Corset st
Kim Wells st
Rebecca Wiasak st
Melina Bernecker +2sec
Emma Viott +2
Kristy Glover +2
Katrin Garfoot +2
Alexandra Nicholl +2
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
Nettie Edmondson 3:08.14
Chloe McConville +7sec
Lisa Jacobs +13
Jessica Mundy +20
Taryn Heather +20
Joanne Hogan +22
Ashlee Ankundoff +51
Davina Summers +1.08
Ruth Corset +1.11
Rebecca Wiasak +1.23
