Keely Bennett (Butterfields Ziptrak) and Patrick Eddy claimed victory in the Inverell criterium on Sunday, which closed out the second-last round of racing in the 2026 Hertz ProVelo Super League.
Things went much more smoothly for Eddy the day after an ill-timed mechanical stymied his chances in the 229km Squadron Energy Grafton to Inverell. It was a solo victory for the Australian road champion in the hour-and-ten-minute criterium on a flowy 1.4km circuit at Lake Inverell.
Eddy caught and then quickly dropped break rider Dylan Proctor-Parker (RCA Bikesonline) to take the win solo, while Oscar Gallagher (CCACHE x Bodywrap) then led the chase over the line to take third.
In the women's race, the lead group got split apart in the final lap by an attack that left four riders together heading into the final turn, with Bennett just outpacing Alyssa Polites (Meridian Bikebug) in the sprint as Lillee Pollock (Team Redcat) took third.
"Just going into the last bend, I was third wheel and we just took a run at each other's wheels and I just got her on the line," Bennett told broadcaster SBS, who also sponsors the women's league. "It was a drag race run that last uphill straight and bend."
After round five of the series, Oliver Bleddyn (Team Brennan) remained at the top of the men's overall series leaderboard while Sophie Sammons (Team Redcat) also retained her leading position.
The final round of the six-event series will play out on March 20 to 22 at the Q Tour, a three-stage decider in Queensland.
Position |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Keely Bennett (Butterfields Ziptrak) |
1:08:32 |
2 |
Alyssa Polites (Meridian Bikebug) |
- |
3 |
Lillee Pollock (Team Redcat) |
- |
4 |
Belinda Bailey (Nstrmo x Attaquer x CCACHE) |
+2 |
5 |
Ruby Taylor (Team Redcat) |
+3 |
Position |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Pat Eddy (Team Brennan) |
1:07:58 |
2 |
Dylan Proctor-Parker (RCA Bikesonline) |
+2 |
3 |
Oscar Gallagher (CCACHE x Bodywrap) |
+11 |
4 |
Nate Hadden (VIS p/b K.O.M.P) |
- |
5 |
Nick Thompson (Falcons Pedal Mafia) |
- |
