Sport
14 February, 2025
Women’s Classic won in record time
KATELYN Nicholson has won the 2025 Lochard Energy Women’s Warrnambool Cycling Classic in a record time.
The Oceania Champion was last weekend the first woman to go under four hours for the event.
In a sensational solo effort, Nicholson (Butterfield Ziptrak Racing) secured victory in the world’s longest women’s one day event.
Hailing from Adelaide, Nicholson will use this win as perfect preparation before heading to Italy in April with the Down Under Development team.
Nicholson rode solo to victory, soaking up the adulation of the crowd as she raced up Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade to write her name in the history books.
Frankie Hall (Praties Cycling Team) finished second, 47 seconds behind the winner, while Josephine Pepper (Duda Racing) rounded out the podium almost a minute later.
This was Hall’s first Australian road race – she is from Norfolk in the UK and has only been in the country a few weeks with a British continental team – while Pepper continued her good form after finishing second in the event last year.
Nicholson made the perfect attack within the last 35 kilometres, crediting team mate Alli Anderson for urging her to ‘go now’ after the pair had been part of a five-women breakway at the 100 kilometre mark.
The day started at Colac, with 60 riders rolling out into a strong tail wind.
Twenty-five year old Nicholson crossed the line in a record three hours, 51 minutes and 17 seconds.
“You don’t ever feel safe until you cross the line I don’t think,” she said.
“The Warrny is such an iconic race and everyone wants a shot at winning it, so to be able to win is truly special.
“Some of the names who have won this are big names so to be on the list with them is very cool. I love the longer races; the longer and harder the better.
“The women’s peloton is getting better and better.”
Second-placed Hall said she struggled to hold the cross-tail winds and was in the gutter all day.
“Katelyn’s attack was probably one of the most well-timed attacks I’ve seen in the last couple of years, especially in domestic racing,” Hall said.
“With 15 kilometres to go I just had to attack and give it one last shot to get across and while the gap came down, I just couldn’t get across. I left it all out there and came in completely empty; I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Despite a bad quad cramp, Josephine Pepper managed to hold on for third.
“I came second in this race last year and I thought it was a fluke so to be able to back it up and get on the podium again just proves you‘ve got to back yourself and if you really want it, go get it,” she said.
Forty-eight riders finished the event, with Tahlia Appleton (Praties Cycling Team) retaining the ProVelo Super League leaders’ green jersey by just one point over Nicholson.
Nicholson also took home the Lochard Energy Sprint green jersey while the polka dot jersey of the KFC Hill Climb King classification was won by Celestine Wells.
