Australian cycling star Caleb Ewan overcame a gutsy performance from Victorian rider Pat Shaw to take control of the Bay Classic series.
Ewan's victory in windy conditions on the Eastern Beach circuit at Geelong means he is in the box seat for his third Mitchelton criterium series title.
He now has nine race wins and only Australian cycling legend Robbie McEwen has been more prolific in the classic with 17 race victories.
If Ewan retains the series lead through the next two races, he will also be outright second behind McEwen's six overall titles.
The 21-year-old has won the first two rounds this year, taking him past Dave McKenzie's seven race wins.
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While Ewan is well-placed in the men's series, Kimberley Wells won the women's second round on Saturday to put the pressure on leader Gracie Elvin.
After finishing third in race one, Shaw tried to break Ewan's hold by helping form a breakaway with Pat Lane and Nathan Haas.
They led by as much as 31 seconds, but Ewan was always confident his powerful Orica-GreenEDGE team had them covered.
The trio's fate was sealed when Ewan's teammate Alex Edmondson bridged the gap in the closing laps and sat on the back of the breakaway.
That put the pressure on rival teams to help with the chasing, further boosting Ewan's stocks.
Orica-GreenEDGE lost Luke Durbridge early in Saturday's race to a mechanical problem, but Ewan was unfazed.
"The boys rode so well and it was handy having Alex up there in the breakaway," he said.
"It took all the pressure off us - we didn't want it to get too far (ahead).
"We rode it perfectly, I think."
He easily outsprinted his rivals at the finish and leads Brenton Jones, runner-up on Friday and Saturday, by four points.
Ewan was the youngest series winner two years ago and also is the defending champion.
"If I've had a good Bay Crits, it sets me up for a good year - so hopefully it sets me up again," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Wells proved she is the fastest woman in the Bay Classic by winning race two.
Her friend Elvin still leads the series after finishing runner-up on Saturday, but Wells is only two points behind.
And after Elvin's Orica-AIS team overwhelmed Wells in race one, her High5 Dream Team squad bounced back with an outstanding performance.
Wearing the green and gold stripes as national criterium champion, Wells was superb in the final sprint on the tough Eastern Beach circuit.
"I'm definitely the fastest - these stripes denote that big target on my back," she said.
"It definitely makes it hard for myself and my teammates with that big onus on us in the race."
