Tasmanian Madeleine Fasnacht added a fourth place finish to two earlier wins at the under-19 road national championships.
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Having already claimed gold in the time trial and road race in Geelong, the Hobart rider narrowly missed the podium in Sunday’s criterium.
NSW rider Jade Haines won the race in 40:24 from Queenslander Alexandra Martin-Wallace and Victorian Sarah Gigante with Fasnacht one of four other riders on the same time.
Fellow Tasmanians Anya Louw, Amalia Langham and Renee Dykstra finished 12th, 13th and 15th while Launceston’s Sean Hughes-Roberts and Joshua Duffy and were 17th and 22nd respectively in the 50-rider men’s final.
Team coach Dave Walker said Fasnacht continued a successful production line of talent.
“We’ve seen Amy [Cure], Macey [Stewart] and Morgan [Gillon] come through, but Maddie is just such a fantastic road rider,’’ he said.
“She is just so aggressive and focused, and I reckon she can do anything, so the sky really is the limit for her.”
Walker was delighted with the team’s overall performance.
“When you beat states like New South Wales and Victoria [on the medal table], that says a lot for the program and the hard work that everybody puts in,” he said.
“But this is not a one-off, as it has been going on for about five or six years, and it really is just building a great culture in the sport in the state.”
Launceston’s Zack Gilmore is recovering well from injuries suffered in a crash during Friday’s time trial.
He sustained cuts, bruises and a broken bone in his hand and is awaiting news whether surgery is required.
Health check
Tasmanian Olympic cyclist Georgia Baker has been undergoing health checks in Europe.
The Perth 22-year-old felt pain and a sensation down her arm while racing for her ORICA-SCOTT team and withdrew from the Women’s Tour in the UK.
In an interview with the ABC this week she said: "Given my family history with my Dad passing away two years ago, they're just wanting to do some more tests, that's all."
While an angiogram came back clear, Baker said she was waiting on other team tests on her heart.
"You can't muck around with your heart. Even if think it's silly, you need to get it checked."
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
