Both riders hit the Mitchelton Bay Criterium series at Geelong full of expectations, but  wickedly high temperatures breaching the 40 degree mark and high winds retired many competitors during first two events. Sunderland, racing with the AMR Renault Racing team, succumbed in three of the four races, but managed to place of 22nd in third criterium.

Thomas rides with the Data#3 Symantec team, and beat the conditions in all three of the four races. He finished sixth on day one, then fifth and 11th on the third and fourth days, and came in seventh overall.

The ‘Bay Crits’ were the hurdle, but Thomas and Sunderland agreed they used them as hard-core prep for the 2015 Road Nationals Championships at Ballarat, currently underway.

Thomas and Sunderland are racing in the under 23 category with Sunderland stepping up a rung in the competitive arena. Both competed in the 33km criterium on Wednesday in a field of 72 riders, and they swept in with the top 10. Thomas finished eighth in a time of 47.38 and Sunderland hot on his heels, two seconds later. 

Data#3 Symantec general manager Terence Bonner said the riders who came in first and second broke away.

“Then Ryan and four others went to chase them down and got within seven seconds of the two leaders. Dylan did very well as well.” 

“Ryan’s group of five was then caught by the peloton on the last lap, and Ryan was still able to sprint through for a top 10 result.”

The second and final stage for Thomas and Sunderland is a 132.6 road race tomorrow. They will compete against 128 other cyclists from across Australia for the top title. 

The race is a headline act for some of the top stars of Australian cycling who compete on the international stage. Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans will make his final appearance in competitive cycling in the Elite Men’s road race on Sunday before his February retirement from the sport.