Australia's Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) claimed the bronze medal in a stunning women's road race at the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire on Saturday. 

In one of the most incredible individual rides ever seen World Championship history, Dutch powerhouse Annemiek van Vleuten soloed the final 105 kilometres to claim the world champion's rainbow jersey. 

Following an epic battle in the chasing group across a punishing course, Spratt took the bronze behind 2018 world champion Anna Van der Breggen (NED). 

"That was epic. It was the hardest race I have ever done. Every part of my body was cramping, my thumb cramping in the end," said Spratt, who became the first Australian woman to claim two World Championships road race medals after winning silver in 2018. 

"I am really proud. I really feel like I have won this bronze medal."

Spratt's team of Brodie Chapman (Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank), Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon–SRAM), Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton-Scott), Lauren Kitchen (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Chloe Hosking (Ale-Cipollini) and Jessica Allen (Mitchelton-Scott) joined 152 starters from 49 nations for the 149km race from Bradford to Harrogate.

With the early pace set by the strong eight-rider Dutch outfit, debutant  Allen and Kitchen sheltered Spratt over the first 40 kilometres as the peloton approached the first major climb of the race, 'Lofthouse'. 

It was here Van Vleuten attacked as the climb further decimated the already dwindling peloton. Spratt took up the chase in a world-class nine-rider breakaway which included 2015 world champion Lizzie Deignan (GBR), reigning Olympic and world champion van der Breggen (NED), recently crowned 2019 time trial world champion Chloé Dygert Owen (USA) and Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA). 

With little cohesion in the chasing group, the powerful Dutchwoman established a lead of two minutes as she entered Harrogate for three laps of the challenging 14-kilometre town circuit. 

"Suffer suffer suffer. It was about who could suffer the most. I predicted it would be before the race and it was," said Spratt. "The race really opened after only 45 kilometres, and it was full gas racing which doesn't really happen very often.  

"I tried to play it smart, I chose to not participate in all the attacks but conserve and save my energy for the circuits, which was the smarter move. You only had some many bullets you could fire on this circuit and be careful how to use them, so I chose to wait to use them until later."

With the chasing group exploding as it approached Harrogate, Dygert launched a solo attack on Van Vleuten's lead. Spratt and Van Der Breggen shook the rest of the peloton including Deignan and Borghini, before absorbing a fading Dygert on the penultimate lap.  
With Van Vleuten's spectacular victory nearly complete some two minutes ahead, Van der Breggen attacked Spratt inside the final six kilometres and rode to the silver just seconds ahead of Spratt. 

"Once we got to the final circuit, everyone was dropping like flies," Spratt explained. "It was attack, after attack, after attack. One rider was dropped, then the next rider, then the next. It was survival of the fittest. 

"When Chloe (Dygert) was away, we weren't sure we could get her back, but once we did, we knew we were racing for a medal. In the end, Anna (van der Breggen) was just a little too strong in those last five kilometres."

Following her second straight World Championship medal, Spratt was content with what she considered an exhaustive performance.  
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"It was a brutal, brutal race and everyone finished with the tank completely empty," said Spratt. "There is not a lot I could have changed. Yes, you come here, and you want to win, but honestly, no one coming here today was going to beat her. 

"Sometimes you have to realise when someone is having an exceptional performance as Annemiek did today. Congratulations to her, she is a worthy world champion. She was on another level today." 

Moments after crossing the line, Spratt paid tribute to her teammates for delivering her to the crucial part of the race in position. 

"Anyone watching the race saw how amazing the team were. We knew that Lofthouse climb would be supercritical and they did a great job of looking after me and protecting to that climb where it all exploded, so I am really grateful to the team," said Spratt. 

"I am so proud of this medal, but also of the work the girls, also the staff, put in this week. It has been a really incredible feeling within the group and the whole team, all the staff and the riders, boosted all of us up this week." 

Following her second medal at the past two World Championships, Spratt reflected on her performances. 

"I have to pinch myself sometimes because I don't think of myself as of one of those riders," Spratt admitted. "But it has happened twice now.  

"I have hit my stride last two to three years, and it shows that all the hard work is really paying off. I did put a lot of pressure on myself, but I had excellent preparation. 

"I will take a lot of confidence out of this heading towards Tokyo 2020." ​

“Pretty cool to be here, it is an amazing place to have the finish line for the Olympic Games, will certainly be a great spectacle with the grandstands,” Amanda Spratt, 2018 World Championship road race silver medallist. 

“It is very different having such wide roads to race on, this is very different for us. But it is about picking which lines to take, so it has been really valuable to be here and ride the course.”

Greco who is aiming for selection to the Australian Paralympic team which will contest the Paralympic Games road race, individual time trial and team relay events, could picture the atmosphere expected in twelve months time. 

“Good to come here ahead of the Games to learn about the heat, to feel the atmosphere of being at the track, it is exciting knowing how big it will be next year with the crowd.” ​

What was your favourite cycling moment in 2018?

There were so many incredible moments for Australian cycling in 2018 it was difficult to narrow it down, but we have twelve amazing moments which make up our 2018 JLT Australian Cycling Moment of the Year.  

The Australian Cycling team figures prominently in the list via Rohan Dennis, Alistair Donohoe, Matthew Glaetzer and Luke Plapp's world titles, Steph Morton's triple gold at the Commonwealth Games, our team pursuit's stunning 3:49.804 ride at the Commonwealth Games, Logan Martin’s BMX-factor at the FISE World Series, and Amanda Spratt's stellar silver at the UCI Road Worlds!

Choose your favourite moment via the survey and you could be celebrating another fantastic year at the 2018 Cycling Australia Awards in Melbourne on Friday 23 November.  

Terms & Conditions 

Australia’s Amanda Spratt soloed the final 40km to claim a stunning silver in the women’s road race the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Austria.

Reigning Olympic champion Anna Van der Breggen (Netherlands) soloed the final 39 kilometres of the race to to claim one of the most dominant victories ever seen at a World Championships. She finished over three minutes ahead of Spratt, with former world champion Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) taking bronze.
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“I honestly I think I can be really proud with the silver medal. It caps off a great season for me,” said Spratt, who became just the sixth Australian woman in sixty years to reach the World Championships' road race podium.

Spratt, Grace Brown, Brodie Chapman, Tiffany Cromwell, Shara Gillow, Lucy Kennedy and Sarah Roy, were among the 149 starters to set out on the 156km course which featured an 85km loop before three punishing laps of a 24km circuit with 2400m of vertical climbing.

Spratt was caught up in a early crash but recovered and with the help of team mate Kennedy, was able to remain at the front of the race and in touch of the pre race favourite Dutch team and form part of the crucial breakaway.    

On the penultimate lap, Van der Breggen launched herself from the main field to join Spratt's group, and despite her best efforts, Spratt was unable to keep the wheel of the Dutchwoman.

Van der Breggen soloed to the biggest winning margin in thirty years (3mins 42secs), while Spratt powered the final 40km home on her own to finish two minutes ahead of Guderzo. 

“It was a tough race out there, the whole team did an incredible job throughout the first stage to get me fresh to the final,” said Spratt, whose season has included victory at the Santos Women's Tour Down Under and Emakumeen Bira, a stage win at the Giro Rosa and podiums at Amstel Gold and at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
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“That meant I could get into that break before the second last climb where I knew the Dutch would attack. I was waiting for that move. 

“Anna came across so quickly, I really tried to hold her wheel up that climb. She was honestly on another level today, she really deserves that title.”

Australian Cycling Team members Amanda Spratt, Gracie Elvin and Sarah Roy are celebrating after a dominant performance at the most prestigious women’s Tour on the calendar, the Giro Rosa. 
 
The three members of the Australian women's outfit Mitchelton-Scott combined with fellow Aussie Jess Allen, world time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) and Jolien D’hoore (BEL).

van Vleuten made history by winning the final stage and securing the Tour win for the first time in the team’s seven-year history, while Spratt became the first Australian in 24 years to finish the Tour on the podium.

Spratt, who won stage six, grabbed third on GC and the green points jersey. 

“We came here wanting to win the Giro-Rosa as a team and Annemiek has done it and it is really thanks to the entire team. The riders, the staff, everyone has worked so hard for this, it’s giving me goosebumps to see how well we have all worked together," said Spratt.