In a thrilling finish, Martina Fidanza (https://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/martina-fidanza/) from Visma-Lease a Bike claimed victory in the 40km women's Cadel's Criterium on Thursday. She expertly timed her sprint to fend off the strong challenge posed by a pair of riders from SD Worx.
Marta Lach secured the second place after navigating her way to the front, managing to find an alternative path after being squeezed out of the lead by her SD Worx-Protime teammate, Barbara Guarischi, who ultimately finished in third place.
This criterium was established as a substitute for the Surf Coast Criterium that was canceled earlier in the week (https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/criteriums-to-replace-cancelled-surf-coast-classics-as-lead-in-event-to-cadel-evans-great-ocean-road-race/). The decision to cancel both the women’s and men’s 1.Pro events was made due to a severe fire burning in the Otways, coupled with soaring temperatures that reached up to 45°C, creating extreme fire conditions.
