Wiles' attack in the closing kilometers sets up a tactical ending for the inaugural race in Torquay
It wasn’t quite the win she wanted, but Tayler Wiles came away with a well-earned podium in a tactical and thrilling finish in the inaugural Towards Zero Race Torquay.
“I am happy to be on the podium. Of course, you always want the win, but podium in a [UCI] 1.1 is also really cool,” said Wiles.
Tayler Wiles attack with just over one lap and 13 kilometers to go in the 103-kilometer women’s race also drew out Emily Herfoss (Roxsolt-Attaquer), and together they made short work of catching the two-rider breakaway up the road.
“We were watching the other teams, and no one was really putting up a chase, so Trixi (Worrack), as the captain, decided that our best shot was to try and bridge,” explained Wiles.
“The rollers were the best place to get a jump; they were so much fun because when you go down, you have so much speed, and if you hit it at the right time, you can get a gap. I finally did get a gap, and I had all the team in my ear saying, ‘go go go go!’ So I went.”
Coming into the final five kilometers, the four leaders had a decent lead to play with over the peloton, and a poker game ensued.
“When we first caught them, we were already playing games because we all wanted to attack on that last roller; everyone wanted to be in the back, and that slowed it down. I attacked but didn’t get too much of a gap, and then we all worked together on the flat,” continued Wiles.
“We all rolled through really well until 3K to go, and then the games began again, and no one wanted to pull anymore. Coming out of that last roundabout with a little over 2K to go, one of the other riders dropped the wheel from Brodie (Chapman), and I was the next rider, and I didn’t want to close the gap – Brodie just got a gap and none of us wanted to chase, and that was just kinda the way it went.”
Brodie Chapman, out front since lap five, rolled off the front, saw she had a gap, and put her head down in a last-ditch effort. The hesitation from the others was all she needed and she soloed to an impressive win.
Wiles gave one last dig to try and close to the Australian, but it was too late. Herfoss caught Wiles back in the final meters for second, Wiles held on for third, and Lauren Stephens (Tibco) rolled across in fourth.
After a rather chilly Tour Down Under, the race in Torquay was the blistering hot weather expected in Australia, which suited Wiles.
“I was happy that we finally had a hot day because I did sauna training before I came to Australia, and then it ended up being really cold in Adelaide,” ended Wiles. “I was happy to see if it made a difference, and I guess it did.”
The women line up again Saturday in the Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race, the first race of the prestigious UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar.
