Cycling Queensland

Victorian Mark O’Brien (Team Budget Forklifts) has extended his lead in the 2012 Subaru National Road Series and Queensland’s Ruth Corset (Pensar-Hawk Racing) has leapfrogged into top spot in the women’s rankings after their respective victories in the Santos North Western Tour at the weekend. 

O’Brien, from the country town of Horsham, is in career-best form, with the 24-year-old claiming his third straight tour win of the season. 

"I’m happy to pick up another win with Budget Forklifts as my teammates supported me well over the four days," said O'Brien who also won April’s Mersey Valley Tour and FKG Tour of Toowoomba in early June.

"It’s been a great season so far and I’m now looking forward to a quick break and preparing for the Tour of Gippsland in August." he added.

O’Brien now sits on 221 points, 85 clear of team mate Michael Cupitt of Queensland (136 points), with Tasmania’s Nathan Earle ranked third (100 points).

In the women’s rankings, Corset’s second tour victory of 2012 has moved her ahead of previous leader Lisa Jacobs (Jayco/Apollo VIS).

The 35-year-old has 505 points which puts her 113 points clear of Jacobs, with Miranda Griffiths, who placed second on the weekend, now in third place overall on 285 points.

“I’m certainly looking forward to the Canberra Women's Tour,” said Corset, who last year retired from international competition and this season has been one of the strongest riders in the domestic series.  She also won the second round of the series, the Velo Battle on the Border.

In the teams’ classification, Team Budget Forklifts and Genesys-Wealth Advisers currently sit one-two with each boasting three riders in the top ten of the individual rankings. 

Budget Forklifts (270 points) leads Genesys-Wealth Advisers (237 points), with RBS Morgan-ATS Pro Cycling (173 points) in third.

Corset’s Pensar-Hawk Racing team leads the women’s rankings on 310 points, narrowly ahead of Suzuki-Trek (285 points) and Holden Cycling (280 points).

The 2012 Subaru National Road Series for registered teams and individuals and features five women’s and twelve men’s rounds.

The next events on the calendar are the Canberra Women's Tour from 6 to 8 July and the men will be back in action at the Tour of Gippsland from 1 to 5 August.