Harris claims first pro win on Waitangi Day
Ella Harris realised her first win as a professional after a gigantic battle into the famed Falls Creek for the Vantage New Zealand team on the final stage of the Lexus of Blackburn Women’s Herald Sun Tour.
The victory was made sweeter in wearing the Vantage New Zealand colours and achieved on Waitangi Day.
The second day of the tour was cut with the threat of poor weather but finished with a superb battle on the gut-busting 30km ascent to Falls Creek.
She celebrated Waitangi Day with the victory over Team TIBCO’s Sarah Gigante and Mitchelton Scott’s Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton Scott) third to take the overall honours.
The stage was always going to be aggressive after it was shortened from 75kms to 45kms, with a small break clear approaching the climb. After a series of attacks, with just 4kms remaining, there were seven riders left including Harris, Gigante, Kennedy, overall leader Arlenis Sierra (Astana) and Jaime Gunning (Specialized).
Harris was dropped several times with Kennedy leading the attacks, but on each occasion, she fought back on.
“Each time they attacked, I knew that they’d slow up eventually,” she said. “I don’t have too much of a punch on me and today, my legs weren’t feeling that great after a mammoth effort to try and cut my losses yesterday after I got completely nailed in the crosswinds. So each time they attacked, I just kept my own tempo and gradually TTed back to the bunch.”
While Harris didn’t necessarily back herself in a sprint, she found the strength to put in one final effort.
“I got back on the wheel after [Sierra] dropped it and then I sensed that the others were slowing up and they didn’t really have much more to give,” Harris said. “And I felt like it was the diesel coming through in me. I thought ‘Oh, I can ramp this up a little bit and hopefully drive them off my wheel.’ And I sensed that they were breathing pretty heavily and I thought they we’re probably towards their max because Lucy was really driving on the front.
“So I thought ‘Just go around 300 meters to go and just not look back.’ With every pedal stroke [the finish line] kept getting closer and closer and I just couldn’t believe it, that I’d actually crossed the line and no one had overtaken me.”
Harris collapsed onto the tarmac about 30 metres past the line and wept, a flood of emotions coming over the 21-year-old.
“It’s been a goal of mine for the year to actually just win a race,” she said. “I haven’t really won a race before. And to win my first professional race is just crazy. It’s not a weight off my shoulders, but it’s just nice to tick that box. And it’s Waitangi Day as well — to win on New Zealand’s national day in the national kit’s pretty cool.”
Harris and Gigante finished on the same time, with Kennedy three seconds behind. Gunning came in fourth at 11 seconds, to wrap up second overall, while Sierra was fifth, at 31 seconds, to take third overall.
The Vantage New Zealand team enjoyed a superb Tour with Harris fourth on general classification and second on points, with Samara Sheppard ninth overall, and Jenna Merrick just 4secs off the Youth category. The team were fourth overall only 36secs off the winner.