PERTH’S Georgia Baker will make her elite Australian road cycling championships debut on Wednesday after losing her five front teeth for the second time last month.
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The 22-year-old will take part in the hunt for the national criterium title around central Ballarat – a hot dog circuit she is yet to navigate.
The Rio Olympian had a horrid run of luck in the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals series.
She experienced gear change problems in the Westbury Criterium before clipping wheels with Annette Edmondson and crashing heavily in the Launceston Carnival at the Silverdome.
It comes after the Olympic team pursuit teammates were involved in a high-speed training accident in Brazil.
Baker lost the same teeth on December 28 as she dislodged in a crash in 2011.
“I have a great dentist, Wayne Ottaway, and he was able to bend over backwards to get me smiling again – I need to stop landing on my face I think,” she said.
I need to stop landing on my face I think
- Georgia Baker
“It’s a part of the sport… everyone crashes as sometimes it is unavoidable but each time you crash it is more frustrating than anything.”
Baker and North-West rider Amy Cure were part of Australia’s team pursuit outfit that won gold at the Oceania Track Championship in early December – four months after a disappointing Rio Olympic campaign.
The national criterium will be Baker’s first race with new road team Orica-Scott including Jessica Allan, Katrin Garfoot and Janelle Crooks.
“I am looking forward to being able to race with the team and hopefully we will kick it off with a win. Whoever is feeling the best or going really well, that’s who we will look after,” she said.
“It’s going to be a hard fast race.
“I really need to make the most of January (ahead of track world cups in Cali (Colombia) and Los Angeles in February).”
Eight Tasmanians overall will converge in Ballarat for the elite and under-23 men’s and women’s criteriums on Wednesday and road races on the weekend.
In-form Olympian and 2016 Ulverstone criterium champion Scott Bowden, 21, will compete in the under-23 criterium and road race along with Oliver Martin and Iven Bennett.
Meanwhile, Launceston’s Tom Robinson and Hobart’s Nathan Earle, who signed with Japanese continental outfit Team Ukyo on Monday, will race in the two elite versions.
“This is the first year I have properly targeted the road nationals so a podium finish would be really good in my first hit out with Avanti Isowhey Sports – I have got pretty high expectations.” Bowden said.
“The state criterium series, I have really just been doing them for training and to get a bit of racing in the legs, so to get some results and finish second overall is definitely a confidence booster.
“The road race will be the main goal for the week but it is a bit of a lottery with the under-23 races as unlike the elite races, there aren’t too many big teams controling the race.”
Campbell Town’s Will Clarke has entered in Sunday’s 183.6-kilometre elite road race along with Hobart rider Jai Crawford.
The 31-year-old Cannondale-Drapac rider said the course was suited to the climbers with a testing Mount Buninyong ascent.
“I will have one other teammate, Brendan Canty, riding with me and he is more the climber and I’m more the guy that can win a small group sprint,” Clarke said.
“If I’m in top shape I think I can do alright, but who knows what can happen in these races.
“I am hoping the form is good on Sunday.”
Dual champion Simon Gerrans is the hot favourite to become the first man to win three national road crowns since Robbie McEwen in 2005.
Gerrans will have the support of Orica-Scott team members Luke Durbridge (2014 winner) and cult-hero Mitchell Docker.
TASSIE RIDERS
- Jai Crawford: Elite road race
- Will Clarke: Elite road race
- Tom Robinson: Elite road race & criterium
- Nathan Earle: Elite road race & criterium
- Oliver Martin: U/23 road race & criterium
- Iven Bennett: U/23 road race & criterium
- Georgia Baker: Elite criterium
- Scott Bowden: U/23 road race & criterium
RACE PROGRAM
- Wednesday – Criteriums
- Thursday – Time trials
- Saturday – Gran Fondo & U23 road race
- Sunday – Road races