Tasmanian cyclists made an encouraging start to the opening tour of the National Road Series.
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Anya Louw was the highest-placed finisher at the Tour de Tweed in New South Wales in 11th overall.
The Devonport rider brought her tour to a close on Sunday with a 12th place finish in the 34-kilometre Murwillumbah criterium, finishing in the main pack with Alexandra Martin-Wallace taking out the race in a sprint finish and Emily Roper winning the tour overall.
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Louw's best stage result was sixth in the opening day's road race and she added 10th and 11th in the second road race and time trial respectively to finish fifth in the young rider classification.
South Australian Breanna Hargrave (+4:01) was the next best TIS Racing rider in 22nd, while Exeter's Catelyn Turner (+8:16) was 32nd (and 10th young rider) and Launceston's Lauren Perry (+49:34) 58th after coming sixth in the final-stage sprint finish.
Launceston's Kathryn Woolston, riding for Veris Racing, was 23rd (+4:04).
In the men's tour, Legana's Zack Gilmore was the highest-placed Tasmanian, finishing 14th overall, +2:20 behind Queensland winner Ryan Thomas.
Riding for Pro Racing Sunshine Coast (ACA), Gilmore came in 15th on the final stage.
Hobart's Ben Van Dam (BridgeLane) finished four places behind Gilmore in 18th (+6:59), Launceston's Oliver Martin was 56th (+32:07), Smithton's Iven Bennett 59th (+35:33), Launceston's Josh Duffy 63rd (+42:01) and Daniel Di Domenico, of Hobart, 67th (+47:41).
NRS racing continues across Victoria before concluding with the Tour of Tasmania in early December.
Laid low
Tasmanian team Izzy Flint and Jacob Langham have been forced to pull out of the Reef to Reef mountain bike racer in Cairns.
After two strong days in the multi-stage race, they were sitting third in the mixed division and ninth overall.
However, just days after sharing Australian schools championship year 11-12 cross-country titles with fellow Launceston College student Liam Johnston, a severe stomach bug prompted Flint to pull the pin.
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.
