Stage set for women's sprint showdown in Geelong

Two of Australia’s best female sprinters will go head-to-head at next month’s Bay Cycling Classic in Geelong.

Commonwealth Games gold medalist Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto) will spearhead the Honda  Dream Team while Chloe Hosking headlines team R.A.C.E.

Gilmore demonstrated her sprinting prowess at this month’s NSW Grand Prix criterium series.

The 29-year-old won two stages and the Cronulla Grand Prix with her teammates Peta Mullens and Melissa Hoskins scooping the rest.

Gilmore enters the January 2-5 Bay Classic series as the defending champion and with a well drilled team that this year supported the Cronulla cyclist to three stage wins.

Canberra cyclist Miffy Galloway will support Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Hosking (HTC-Highroad) at the 22nd edition of the Geelong series.

Hosking finished second to Gilmore in two of the four races that comprise the Geelong event this year.

Galloway and Hosking are the two most experienced riders in the R.A.C.E team having both competed at major European events throughout their respective careers.

Galloway, who spent three months racing for Dutch club team Swabo Ladies this season, admitted her outfit could not rival the well-oiled machine that is Honda.

“We unfortunately haven’t had the luxury to race as one team as much as they (Honda) have so they’ll have a lot more experience in terms of being able to race in the team,’’ Galloway said.

“But I think with the girls (team manager Kim Howard’s) got it won’t take us long to catch up on that as well.”

Regardless of team cohesion, Galloway said R.A.C.E only needs to ensure Hosking is at the finish.

“I’m hoping to be there at the end and giving her a lead-out but Chloe’s very good at looking after herself,’’ Galloway said.

“You just need to get her at the end and then she’s fine. She follows her own trains but I guess we’ll be covering moves, making sure she just gets to the end because when she’s at the end of a bike race she’s one of the fastest girls there is out there at the moment.”

Galloway, who has competed in the Giro Donne and Tour Feminine en Limousin for the Australian National Team, will kick off her Australian summer cycling season at the Bay series before competing at the national championships.

Galloway’s year has been marred with injury, affecting her form, and she will use the national titles to build for the women’s Tour of New Zealand – the only women’s UCI event in Oceania – from February 23-27.

Belinda Goss, Megan Dunn and track world champion Josephine Tomic are among the other Australian female stars competing at the Bay Cycling Classic.