Australia's Baker shows road world championship form at Simac Ladies Tour

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Australia's Baker shows road world championship form at Simac Ladies Tour

Georgia Baker rode well in the second stage of the Simac Ladies Tour, winning the Combat Award with a decisive breakaway to Ede.

The Australian is Bike Exchange-Jayco's main GC option for this week's six-day race in the Netherlands and is in top form heading into the UCI Road World Championships at home in September.

"I joined a breakaway group with two other women and did my best. I rode alone for the last 25km and tried to make a TT at the end, but unfortunately it was reversed. It was a really hard race and in the end it was awarded as the most aggressive race," Baker said.

As expected, the second stage of the Shimac Ladies Tour turned into a group sprint, with Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) taking her second win of the day. Before that, however, a three-man breakaway group took the lead in a circuit race around Ede.

Her two companions were Lieke Neuen (Parkhotel Valkenburg) and Senne Naven (AG Insurance-NXTG). These three riders escaped in the first 10 km of the three-lap, 117.8 km stage, leaving the peloton 1:50 behind.

Sweden's Clara Lundmark (GT Crash-Tunap Pro Cycling) attempted a solo bridge without success, then her teammate Anneke Dijkstra tried the same thing.

Baker then pulled away from Nouyen and continued to ride alone. As Nouyen and Dijkstra tried to reel her in, Baker again extended her advantage, but the sprinter team eventually closed in on the peloton.

Baker had to slow down to bypass a crashed police bike after a right-hand bend with 15 km to go. Her breakaway ended more than 90 km from the front.

Baker won the elite women's road race and placed fourth in the time trial at the Commonwealth Games in August, and entered the Simac Ladies Tour.

Baker returned to the road from the track this season and was selected to represent Australia at the World Championships in Wollongong, September 18-25. Grace Brown, Brody Chapman, Alexandra Manley, Sarah Roy, Amanda Spratt, and Josie Talbot were also named to the elite women's road race team. Baker will also compete in the elite women's time trial with Brown.

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