After finishing third on Stage 1, Kimberley Wells opened up her sprint from 500 metres to surprise the field and take an emphatic victory on Stage 2 of the 2016 Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic.

The win sees Wells in second place on General Classification, just two points behind series leader Gracie Elvin.

The stage started with a flurry of attacks, and the High5 Dream Team was well represented in all moves. Jess Mundy was the first to escape in the opening laps, while Kendelle Hodges was the next to be involved in a move at the mid-point of the race.

In the final laps, Tessa Fabry put in a herculean effort to drive the peloton and keep the pace high to ensure Wells had the best opportunity to finish off the teams work.

“I’m definitely fast, these (National Champion) stripes denote a big target on my back, which definitely makes it harder for myself and for my teammates.”

“There was a bit of wind out there today which changed the dynamic of the race, and I had my great High5 Dream Team teammates do a lot of work for me out there, policing things, deciding when to go and when not to go, and it really paid off for us today.”

“Orica we’re trying to line it up for a lead out, Tessa had done a big job chasing down the two riders off the front. Then I had Jess Mundy just before the hill giving me a few moments of respite.”

“I decided to go early and really hit the Orica-AIS squad hard as I didn’t want to get boxed in like yesterday. It really hurt to go early, and I could feel Gracie (Elvin) behind me, but I dug in and pulled off the win” said Wells.

Racing continues on 3 January with a criterium in Portarlington, starting at 1pm.