One Aussie had claimed three Santos Tours Down Under, the other was the best Aussie in the 2022 Women’s WorldTour. On Tuesday, Amanda Spratt and Grace Brown engaged in battle for the 2023 title with Brown prevailing after Spratt stole away on the hardest climb in the race. Canada’s Maggie Coles-Lyster finished 26th on GC.
Monday’s winner and race leader Alex Manly led Brown by eight seconds and Spratt by 14 seconds overnight.
The big climb in the 93.2 km between Adelaide and Campbelltown was Corkscrew Hill, a 2.4 km, 9 percent clamber that peaked 8 km from the finish line.
A breakaway came to heel just before Corkscrew Hill. There, Spratt attacked and Brown chased her up the steep grades.
The FDJ-Suez rider kept up her dogged pursuit of the Trek-Segafredo triple champion. Right at the red kite, Brown made the junction.
The two then engaged in a classic sprint, Brown getting the better of Spratt. Last season in the WorldTour Brown was runner-up in both Liege-Bastogne-Liege and The Womens’ Tour in Britain, and third in the GP de Plouay.
2023 Santos Tour Down Under Stage 3
1) Grace Brown (Australia/FDJ-Suez) 2:37:11
2) Amanda Spratt (Australia/Trek-Segafredo) s.t.
3) Georgia Williams (New Zealand/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) +0:13
43) Maggie Coles-Lyster (Canada/Zaaf) +3:11
2023 Santos Tour Down Under Final GC
1) Grace Brown (Australia/FDJ-Suez) 8:03:29
2) Amanda Spratt (Australia/Trek-Segafredo) +0:10
3) Georgia Williams (New Zealand/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) +0:19
26) Maggie Coles-Lyster (Canada/Zaaf) +5:05
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…