GreenEDGE Cycling dominated the Australian Criterium Championships as Ruby Roseman-Gannon led home a Liv AlUla Jayco one, two, three while Caleb Ewan sprinted to victory on his team return.

Roseman-Gannon finished off a superb team performance in the women’s race as she attacked solo to take her second criterium title, with teammates Georgia Baker and Alex Manly locking out the podium places from the bunch sprint behind.

Team Jayco AlUla then controlled an aggressive men’s race as they shut down a series of breakaway attempts over the course of the 40-lap race before 2023 champion Kell O’Brien and Blake Quick teed Ewan up for the sprint finale. Once the 29-year-old opened up his kick there was no stopping him as he raced away to secure his fourth national criterium title in style.

With three gold medals across the opening four events at the Australian National Championships, GreenEDGE Cycling now switch their focus to the ‘big one’ on Sunday as they look to reclaim the men’s and women’s road race championships on Mount Buninyong.

Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Winner)
“The race was good, a bit windy and nice weather, there wasn’t a lot of aggression early on but it started getting hard and I actually didn’t feel so good. We had Amber [Pate] covering a lot of the moves early on.

Then I realised that I probably didn’t feel good because actually it had been kind of hard so that’s when I went and we got it pretty big gap, Gina Ricardo and I, pretty early on. I was working pretty hard and I wasn’t sure whether Gina was feigning a bit so I started attacking her a bit and she was still holding on and then I eventually dropped her.

I think it’s my first solo win since I became professional and maybe my first ever, so I’m really happy to win today. In the end we got one, two, three so I can’t thank the girls enough, it’s such a great team to race with and what a great way to start the year.”

Caleb Ewan (Winner):
“It’s amazing to be back and back in the team and I really wanted to start the year really well, and that was going to be here at the crit. I was super nervous before the race to be honest, I felt like a kid racing again.
 
The team did an amazing job we rode quite aggressive and then yeah in the end when we knew breaks were going away we set up for the sprint.
 
I think it’s a good thing [to feel nervous], when you’re nervous it mean you care and it’s your body getting ready for whatever is coming up, so it’s good to feel it again and it’s good to have the arms in the air again.”

2024 Australian Criterium Championships – Women:
1. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) 50:25
2. Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:14
3. Alex Manly (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:14

2024 Australian Criterium Championships – Men:
1. Caleb Ewan (Team Jayco AlUla) 59:16
2. Jensen Plowright ST
3. Sam Welsford ST

Photo: Henry Yates