Von Hoff beats Ewan in cycling
Steele Von Hoff has outsprinted Australian cycling's young gun Caleb Ewan to successfully defend his national criterium championship.
The race at Ballarat seemed to be set up for Ewan to continue his winning start to the year, but Von Hoff was too fast in the last few hundred metres.
It was an outstanding performance from Von Hoff, who had shown encouraging form at last week's Bay Classic criterium series.
But Ewan had dominated the Bay Classic, winning three of the four races in a superb start to his first full season as a WorldTour rider.
When it was clear that Wednesday night's race would end in a bunch sprint, Ewan was the popular pick.
He had to settle for second, while track specialist Scott Sunderland was third.
The win was a great boost for Von Hoff, whose contract at WorldTour team Cannondale-Garmin was not renewed.
He is riding this season for British continental team NTFO.
Earlier on Wednesday night, Canberra doctor Kimberley Wells overcame a year of illness and injury to reclaim the women's elite criterium title she won two years ago.
She won a pulsating race ahead of Peta Mullens, who rode superbly, and Lauren Kitchen.
Victorians Chris Hamilton and Shannon Malseed won the under-23 national criterium titles.
Von Hoff said he was amazed to win, saying he had put plenty of pressure on himself to defend the title.
When it was put to Von Hoff that most observers would have picked Ewan for the win given how the last lap unfolded, he replied: "myself included".
Von Hoff revealed he benefited from race three of the Bay Series last Sunday at Portarlington, where he finished runner-up to Ewan.
"I just took his wheel and I learned from Portarlington, where he absolutely whooped me," Von Hoff said.
"I just left it too late to drop my gear.
"I dropped my gears earlier and, as soon as he went, I was right on him in his slipstream.
"But he's such a fast little guy - he's going to be the next Mark Cavendish for sure."
Von Hoff now hopes for a strong result in Sunday's elite road race.
A high placing might give him a start in the composite UniSA team at this month's Tour Down Under.
Ewan only had Orica-GreenEDGE team-mate Leigh Howard for support in this race, but said that was not a factor.
He said Howard had ridden well and given him every chance for the win.
"I might have come off the wheel too early (to start his final sprint), but it doesn't matter," Ewan said.
"It's pretty obvious I came here with the one goal and ambition - to win.
"Obviously I'm a little bit disappointed ... but that happens and you can't win all the time."
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