Ellis first by wide margin

Not even radio trouble between herself and Jazz Apple riding director Susy Pride could stop 19-year-old New Zealander Lauren Ellis Sunday, in the 80-km Peace Arch News road race.

In fact, a little static in the headphones may have actually helped.

As opposed to the men’s race, which came down to the final lap, Ellis won the women’s race with relative ease, finishing nearly four minutes ahead of second-place rider Ruth Corset, her Jazz Apple teammate. She admitted after the race to experiencing some technical difficulties with her headset, which caused her to lose communication with Pride at various points.

“It was hard, but it just made me drive it harder and harder to keep out in front,” she said.

Ellis took the lead midway through the race and never let up, eventually distancing herself so far from the pack that she essentially had the race sewn up with three laps to go.

“A group of us had a small break off the climb, and we were just driving it, then I moved to the front on the downhill... I just went as hard as I could – it wasn’t planned,” she said.

The original plan for the Jazz Apple team, Ellis said, was to work to get Corset the road race title, which would have ensured her the overall Omnium title, which she ended up winning anyhow.

In addition to her second-place finish Sunday, Corset was third in Friday’s hill climb and second in the criterium Saturday. It was an impressive performance, especially considering she needed medical attention Friday.

“I went really hard on the first climb, and I was pretty tired after that. Then the second time, I went as hard as I could right from the bottom, and I don’t think I should’ve done that,” Corset explained.

“My legs just seized up, and I went to hop off the bike after the finish line, and I couldn’t feel my legs at all, and they just collapsed under me.”

It was a grueling week, said Ellis, who’s in her first year racing road courses after primarily being a track rider in New Zealand.

“I was just hoping my legs were going to feel good. It was just one more race, so you just have to put all your energy into the last one.”