Australian champion jersey debut delayed by injury
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Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan National Team) crashes heavily on a slippery descent, as did defending champion Amber Halliday (bike but not rider pictured).(Image credit: Pete Bruggeman)
Open women's time trial champion Amber Halliday points to her tattoo in respect for the late Amy Gillett who competed in these championships before she was tragically killed in a car accident in Germany.(Image credit: Shane Goss)
A well earned drink: Amber Halliday from South Australia quenches her thirst after winning the gold medal in the women's open road time trial in Buninyong.(Image credit: Shane Goss)
Australian Time Trial Champion Amber Halliday will miss the opportunity to wear her national champion jersey for the first time in competition after crashing out of the Women’s Tour of New Zealand. Halliday and Japan’s Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan National Team) crashed on the final descent during the race’s second stage.
While initial reports suspected Halliday of a broken collarbone, the rider confirmed she has in fact fractured her humerus and had suffered a dislocated shoulder in the crash. She also lost skin and suffered bruising in the crash, which is believed to have occurred when the riders hit a white line on wet roads near the bottom of the descent, around 12 kilometres from the finish line.
Halliday was hoping to honour the green, gold and white jersey with a victory on today’s 11 kilometre individual time trial at the race she won overall on debut last year.
Last year’s Women’s Tour of New Zealand was the former professional rower’s first International Cycling Union (UCI) ranked road race. With little known about Halliday within the peloton at the time, she was able to sneak away and win the 125 kilometre stage to Admiral Hill solo, setting up her overall victory.
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