With solo breakaway Patrick Lane (Mitchelton Wines-Lowe Farms) being overhauled on the final lap of the race, Greg Henderson sprinted to victory in the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic and thus clocked up his first victory of 2012.
The Kiwi’s success was the first for his new Omega Pharma Quick Step team, although he was listed as riding for the Degani Bakery Café squad. Henderson benefited from the pacemaking of teammates Zak Dempster and Dean Windsor, kicking hard and holdig off the 2010 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic winner Chris Sutton (Urban Hotels) and former Tour Down Under winner Allan Davis (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms).
“It was a historical day for Australian cycling with the debut of GreenEDGE and it was an honour to be a part of it,” he said afterwards. “It seemed like they were pretty happy with anyone who was up the break. I think they were pretty desperate to win today but when you’ve got so many riders in a group like that, it sort of almost works against you.
“All my training has been sprint training so if they (my teammates) could keep me out of trouble for the four of five laps which they did amazingly, I’d have a go in the sprint. Last year was a lot easier but I was beaten. This year was so hard and I won, so you work it out.”
Early on, a quintet got away and opened a slight but persistent lead over the peloton. The group comprised the recent Herald Sun Tour winner Nathan Haas (Bike Bug), who will be part of Garmin-Cervélo in 2012, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) and his brother Wesley (GreenEDGE Cycling), former Tour de France green jersey winner Baden Cooke (Mitchelton Wines-Lowe Farms) and Dean Windsor (Degani Bakery Café).
These were later joined by Davis, James Mowatt (Rapido Cycles/Four Points Geelong) and Dempster, with others also joining in. With ten laps to go they bridged across and this created a fifteen-rider group. Missing were big names such as Robbie McEwen (GreenEdge) and Garmin-Cervélo’s Heinrich Haussler (riding for Bike Bug in this race). McEwen was delayed slightly when Haussler crashed on a left hand bend.
The main bunch was caught by the break and as a result the riders from sixteenth place back were listed as non-finishers.
With seven laps to go Lane tried his luck, the 20 year old clipping away and remaining clear until after the bell. He couldn’t quite hold off the chase behind and was overhauled, with Henderson then hitting the jets and clocking up win number one for 2012.
Hosking triumphs ahead of near-namesake Hoskins:
The women’s race saw the new Specialized lululemon team start out as it means to continue and clocking up a win, although the victorious Chloe 
Hosking and her team-mate Loren Rowney were officially riding for the Total Rush team in the event.
Hosking triumphed despite the fact that a seven-woman break she was in was stopped with five laps to go. It had been eight seconds clear at the time, but its progress was halted when a crash took out Trudy Van der Straaten (Pitcher Partners), who suffered a suspected broken collarbone.
Once the race was restarted, a determined Hosking clipped away with less than three laps remaining and hit the line first. GreenEdge-AIS rider Melissa Hoskins was quicker than last year’s winner Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team) to the line, nabbing second place.
Hosking was delighted to start off the season with a win. “For me it’s really exciting to get up there and show women’s racing at its best and today I think we did that,” the 21 year old Canberra rider said. “I’m definitely in the best form I’ve been at this time of the year ever. I’ve been working really hard in the off season and I’m glad to see it paying off.
“It was a really exciting race. It was aggressive from the start and the Green Edge girls made the race pretty hard. My team-mates were fantastic and I was lucky to have my new team-mate Loren with me today.”
Rowney was helpful throughout, getting across to the break containing her team-mate to drive it along and then, after the restart, continuing to work for her.
Aside from appreciating her efforts, Hosking also paid tribute to the riding of the GreenEdge women’s team, saying that she was impressed by their group performance. “They rode really well today and made the race,” she said. “I just made the right move at the right time.”
Stage two of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic takes place tomorrow in the Geelong Eastern Park. It will be preceded by the seventh Amy’s Ride, held in memory of the former Australian international Amy Gillett and to reinforce the message of safe road use.
2012 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic:
Stage 1: Ritchie Boulevard, Geelong Eastern Beach
Elite men:
1, Greg Henderson (NZ) Degani Bakery Cafe) at 59 mins 58 secs
2, Chris Sutton (Urban Hotels
3, Allan Davis (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms
4, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels
5, Steele Von Hoff (Bike Bug
6, Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug
7, Dean Windsor (Degani Bakery Cafe
8, Leigh Howard (GreenEdge Cycling
9, Caleb Ewan (NSWIS
10, Zak Dempster (Degani Bakery Cafe) at 9 secs
11, Patrick Lane (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms) at 17 secs
12, James Mowatt (Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong) at 34 secs
13, Wesley Sulzberger (GreenEdge Cycling) at 40 secs
14, Baden Cooke (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms) at 41 secs
15, Nathan Haas (Bike Bug) at 45 secs
DNF:
Matthew Goss (GreenEdge Cycling)
Robbie McEwen (GreenEdge Cycling)
Mitch Docker (GreenEdge Cycling)
Luke Durbridge (WA) Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms)
Michael Hepburn (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms)
Koen de Kort (Urban Hotels)
Bert de Backer (Urban Hotels)
Richard Lang (Urban Hotels)
Heinrich Haussler (Bike Bug)
Alex Carver (Bike Bug)
Mark Jamieson (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Nic Sanderson (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Campbell Flakemore (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Kane Walker (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Peter Loft (Budget Forklifts)
Mark O'Brien (Budget Forklifts)
Luke Ockerby (Budget Forklifts)
Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts)
Sam Witmitz (Budget Forklifts)
Michael Knoff (John West Cycling)
Rene Kolbach (John West Cycling)
Oliver Kent-Spark (John West Cycling)
Nicholas Brian (John West Cycling)
Trent Derecourt (WA) John West Cycling)
Nathan Bradshaw (NSWIS)
Luke Williams (NSWIS)
Tirian McManus (NSWIS)
Jack McCulloch (NSWIS)
Taiji Nishitani (Geelong Mazda)
Kazuhiro Mori (Geelong Mazda)
Kazushige Kuboki (Geelong Mazda)
Takuya Takashi (Geelong Mazda)
Eya Hashimoto (Geelong Mazda)
Jos van Emden (Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong)
Tom Leezer (Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong)
Scott Liston (Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong)
Neil van der Ploeg (Rapido Cycles / Four Points Geelong)
Sprint 1:
1, Caleb Ewan (NSWIS) 3 pts
2, Mitch Docker (GreenEdge Cycling) 2
3, Zak Dempster (Degani Bakery Cafe) 1
Sprint 2:
1, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) 3 pts
2, Dean Windsor (Degani Bakery Cafe) 2
3, Nathan Haas (Bike Bug) 1
Sprint 3:
1, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) 3 pts
2, Nathan Haas (Bike Bug) 2
3, Baden Cooke (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms) 1
General Classification after Stage 1:
1, Greg Henderson (Degani Bakery Cafe) 12 pts
2, Chris Sutton (Urban Hotels) 10
3, Allan Davis (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms) 8
4, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) 7
5, Steele Von Hoff (Bike Bug) 6
6, Anthony Giacoppo (WA) Bike Bug) 5
7, Dean Windsor (Degani Bakery Cafe) 4
8, Leigh Howard (GreenEdge Cycling) 3
9, Caleb Ewan (NSWIS) 2
10, Zak Dempster (Degani Bakery Cafe) 1
Sprint Ace Competition after Stage 1:
1, Bernie Sulzberger (Urban Hotels) 6 pts
2, Caleb Ewan (NSWIS) 3
3, Nathan Haas (Bike Bug) 3
4, Dean Windsor (Degani Bakery Cafe) 2
5, Mitch Docker (GreenEdge Cycling) 2
6, Zak Dempster (Degani Bakery Cafe) 1
7, Baden Cooke (Mitchelton Wines / Lowe Farms) 1
Elite women:
1, Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) 50 mins 33 secs
2, Melissa Hoskins (Greenedge-AIS) at 1 secs
3, Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team)
4, Tiffany Cromwell (Greenedge-AIS) at 3 secs
5, Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS)
6, Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team)
7, Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) at 8 secs
8, Rebecca Henderson (Suzuki-Trek Women) at 10 secs
9, Lucy Coldwell (Carnigie Caulfield CC) at mins 12 secs
10, Annette Edmondson (Pitcher Partners)
11, Grace Sulzberger (Jayco - AIS)
12, Chloe McConville (Carnigie Caulfield CC)
13, Nicole Whitburn (Degani Bakery Cafe) at 14 secs
14, Rebecca Wiasak (Suzuki-Trek Women)
15, Melina Bernecker (Le Grange)
16, Rowena Fry (Jayco - AIS) at 16 secs
17, Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS)
18, Sinead Noonan (Jayco - AIS)
19, Loren Rowney (Total Rush/Hyster)
20, Gracie Elvin (Jayco - AIS)
21, Alex Carle (Jayco - AIS)
22, Liza Rachetto (Spencers Race)
23, Nicole Cooke (BikeExchange Dream Team) at 19 secs
24, Sue Forsyth (Pitcher Partners)
25, Myfanwy Galloway (BikeExchange Dream Team) at 22 secs
26, Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) at 53 secs
DNF:
Imogen Jelbart (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Ailie Mcdonald (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Allison Rice (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Isabella King (Pitcher Partners)
Elizabeth Phillipou (Pitcher Partners)
Trudy Van Der Straaten (Pitcher Partners)
Sequoia Cooper (Torq)
Nadine Le Mescam (Torq)
Thomay Michaltsis (Torq)
Katherine O'Shea (Torq)
Chloe Mcintosh (Total Rush/Hyster)
Kimberley Wells (Total Rush/Hyster)
Carly Williams (Total Rush/Hyster)
Kate Finegan (Spencers Race)
Delphine Astier (Spencers Race)
Ella Hopkins (Spencers Race)
Holly Heffernan (NSWIS)
Laura Triggs (NSWIS)
Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSWIS)
Jessica Laws (Lavington Panthers Cycling Club)
Angela Mcclure (Norwood C.C.)
Alice Wallett (Canberra Cycling Club)
Jess Wigan (MTBA)
Antonia Abbisogni (Bendigo & District CC)
Jamie Leigh Edwards (Geelong Cycle Club)
Ella Scanlan-Bloor (Southern Highlands CC)
Tanya Matthewson (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Sarah Riley (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Laine Hammond (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Anna Kauffmann (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Sprint 1:
1, Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) 3 pts
2, Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) 2
3, Sue Forsyth (Pitcher Partners) 1
Sprint 2:
1, Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS) 3 pts
2, Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) 2
3, Sinead Noonan (Jayco - AIS) 1
General Classification after Stage 1:
1, Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) 12 pts
2, Melissa Hoskins (Greenedge-AIS) 10
3, Rochelle Gilmore (BikeExchange Dream Team) 8
4, Tiffany Cromwell (Greenedge-AIS) 7
5, Jessie Maclean (Greenedge-AIS) 6
6, Kirsty Broun (BikeExchange Dream Team) 5
7, Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) 4
8, Rebecca Henderson (Suzuki-Trek Women) 3
9, Lucy Coldwell (Carnigie Caulfield CC) 2
10, Annette Edmondson (Pitcher Partners) 1
Sprint Ace Competition after Stage 1:
1, Shara Gillow (Greenedge-AIS) 3 pts
2, Chloe Hosking (Total Rush/Hyster) 3
3, Peta Mullens (BikeExchange Dream Team) 2
4, Amanda Spratt (Greenedge-AIS) 2
5, Sue Forsyth (Pitcher Partners) 1
6, Sinead Noonan (Jayco - AIS) 1
Upcoming stages:
Stage 2: Geelong Eastern Park
Stage 3: Portarlington
Stage 4: Williamstown