Heinrich Haussler, the German racing under the Australian flag, was the freshest in a breakaway group of six and he beat talented kid Caleb Ewan and fastman Neil van der Ploeg to win his first ever National Road Race title from a sprint.

The Australian Road Race began under threatening skies, although no rain would come to hamper the great spectacle that was about to unfold. 

Things were quiet in the first lap, with just Sam Spokes of Drapac and Rhys Gillett (Pro Team Down Under) attacking, getting a ten second gap by the time the riders crossed the line to begin lap two of 18, with Mt Buninyong being the centrepiece of the race.

The two were caught, allowing Pat Shaw (Avanti) and Spokes’ teammate Cam Peterson to attack on the climb. They gained a maximum of 30 seconds but then on lap three the first big move of the race went, with 13 riders catching the original break to make it 15 men up front: Josh Berry, Brendan Canty and Jack Bobridge (BudgetForklifts), while Orica-GreenEdge had Damien Howson and Luke Durbridge, Drapac had the quartet of Bernie Sulzberger, Will Clarke, Lachie Norris and Cam Peterson. The solo riders were Nathan Earle (Team Sky), Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling), Campbell Flakemore (BMC), Paul van der Ploeg (CharterMason Giant), along with Gillett and Shaw.

After seven laps, the break had over a minute and Durbridge was the first to attack from the break in order to reduce the size of it. Many more attacks went. In the end, Will Clarke was the only man left standing with a two-minute gap.

Pat Lane (African Wildlife Safaris) decided to attack and he bridged up to Clarke before dropping him and he remained out front until 29km to go of the 183km race. he was caught by Robbie Hucker, Sam Spokes, Darren Lapthorne, (Drapac) Cameron Wurf, Ewan, Haussler, Michael Hepburn (Orica-GreenEdge), Angus Morton, Peter Milostic, Flakemore, Ollie Kent-Spark (search2retain /health.com), Mitch Docker, Bobridge, Neil van der Ploeg and Jack Anderson (BudgetForklifts).

With just two laps remaining, the group had a lead of 1:24 and Hepburn decided to attack, before being joined by teammate Ewan and Sam Spokes.

Nathan Earle was riding solo at the front of the peloton and was never going to bring the move back, as the break up front grew to nine.

Lapthorne attacked first before being joined by van der Ploeg and Hepburn while Caleb Ewan jumped over the top of them to crest the climb solo.

On the descent Ewan was caught by Bobridge and four chasers, meaning a group of eight looked likely to contest the win: Ewan, Bobridge, Haussler, Haepburn, van der Ploeg, Flakemore, Morton and Spokes.

Spoke attacked first but Ewan and van der Ploeg countered hard. The two looked like they would decide the win between them, but with both being equally fast finishers, they played cat and mouse and the group cam back together inside 3km to go, meaning it would be a bigger bunch kick between six men, as Hepburn and Morton had cracked had cracked, although Morton was riding behind the group but Hepburn was nowhere to be seen.

In the end, Haussler was the freshest and he beat the visibly tired Ewan and van der Ploeg to take his first Road Race win. Flakemore led Spokes and Bobridge home all under the same time before Morton came across nine seconds later. The bunch were at 52 seconds after Adam Hansen's late attacked evaded their grasp.

Elite Men Results

1. Heinrich Haussler (IAM) 4:47:24

2. Caleb Ewan (Orica GreenEDGE)) s.t

3. Neil van der Ploeg (Avanti) s.t

4. Campbell Flakemore (BMC) s.t

5. Samuel Spokes (Drapac) s.t

6. Jack Bobridge (BudgetForklifts) s.t

7. Angus Morton (Jelly Belly) +9

8. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal) +48

9. Steele von Hoff (NFTO) +52

10. Simon Clarke (Orica GreenEDGE) s.t