Heinrich Haussler crowned Australia's national road race champion
Sunday 11 January 2015 20:41, UK
Heinrich Haussler out-sprinted Caleb Ewan to claim the Australian National Road Race title in Buninyong.
Haussler, who rides for IAM Cycling, came out on top of a seven-man lead group after battling his way back from being dropped on the final climb of Mount Buninyong.
A group broke clear in the early stages, with Haussler involved, but by the 14th lap it was just breakaway specialist Will Clarke (Drapac) out on his own.
Clarke was joined by Pat Lane (African Wildlife Safaris) but they were caught by a new 17-strong group including Haussler, Ewan and a number of other dangerous riders as pre-race favourites Cadel Evans and Team Sky's Richie Porte were once again marked out of the action.
Michael Hepburn's attack put paid to a number of strugglers and the Orica-GreenEdge rider led into the final lap along with Campbell Flakemore of BMC Racing.
Haussler was left adrift on the final ascent but was able to stay close enough to the other six leaders that he caught them on the seven-kilometre downhill run to the finish, after Ewan had crested the final summit in front.
Samuel Spokes (Drapac) tried to go solo but he was soon reeled back in and Haussler, who took Australian nationality in 2010, timed his sprint to perfection to win despite his chain coming off in the closing stages.
Ewan took second for Orica-GreenEdge ahead of Avanti Racing's Neil van der Ploeg.
The peloton arrived 52 seconds later with Evans 11th and Porte, who won the Australian time-trial championship on Thursday, back in 22nd, four places behind Team Sky team-mate Nathan Earle.
"It means everything to me," Haussler said.
"Even when they were playing the national anthem I had to hold back otherwise the tears were coming to come down, there have been a lot of bad years where you go to races and get dropped and guys go up the road and attack and in the sprint you just can’t follow and you think ‘what’s the matter?’ I knew it would come back eventually but you have to put in the hard work."
