MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 31: Chloe Hosking (AUS) Ale-Cipollini competes during Women's 2018 Herald Sun Tour Prologue, 1.6km Individual Time Trial, on January 31, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Con Chronis/Getty Images)
Camera IconMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 31: Chloe Hosking (AUS) Ale-Cipollini competes during Women's 2018 Herald Sun Tour Prologue, 1.6km Individual Time Trial, on January 31, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Con Chronis/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images

Chloe Hosking ready to deliver after overcoming horror crash she feared had ended her Games

REECE HOMFRAYadelaidenow

AUSTRALIA’S best chance of winning the women’s road race feared her Games dream was over when she crashed in Belgium last week but gun sprinter Chloe Hosking has arrived on the Gold Coast ready to deliver.

The 2010 Commonwealth bronze medallist and reigning Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race champion has been targeting the 112.2km race all year but it was nearly all over when she hit the deck at 60km/h in the Tour of Flanders.

“The crash looked worse than it was and the roads were wet so I slid which was probably a good thing,” Hosking said.

“But it was when I stopped sliding and was able to take stock of what happened, my shin was really sore and I thought ‘oh my god this is broken’ but I think it was the shock and cold of 5 degrees in Belgium.

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Chloe Hosking is ready to deliver for Australia
Camera IconChloe Hosking is ready to deliver for Australia Credit: Getty Images

“I knew very quickly that everything was fine and I touched base with the Aussie team to say ‘don’t worry, I’m on a plane tomorrow’.

“We came in (to the village) super early and compete on the second last day of the Games but everyone has been respectful, we were given ear plugs and eye masks which was a welcome gift and I’ve been using them every night but I haven’t heard anybody going crazy ... there’s definitely been no washing machines thrown off buildings like in Delhi.

“It’s a great energy in there and I’m sort of trying to suck that all up and chat to everybody and use it for myself.”

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Hosking will be joined by Katrin Garfoot, Sarah Roy, Tiffany Cromwell, Gracie Elvin and current national road champion Shannon Malseed in the women’s road race which starts and finishes at Currumbin.

While the team remained coy on their race plans, it’s no secret that Hosking presents their best chance of winning gold in a sprint.

“It’s not a dead flat course but something I have been working hard on and I’m confident going in, I’m up for the challenge,” Hosking said.

Chloe Hosking had feared a crash would end her campaign
Camera IconChloe Hosking had feared a crash would end her campaign Credit: News Limited

Cromwell has been a mainstay of the national team for the past eight years and said she was excited about a home Games.

“You don’t get that often in your career and we have a great group of girls here,” Cromwell said.

“The support and the people have been incredible and I’m really excited to get out there on race day.

“We’ve had our first (tactical) discussions, we obviously don’t want to put it out there yet but we’re confident in our tactics and have talked about all the possible scenarios.

“It’s a different field that we’re used to with a lot of track riders and perhaps not knowing their capabilities, and whether there will be some collusion between the Welsh and Scots and English, but we’re ready and we know what we want — to go for gold.”

Australia’s men’s team will go in as hot favourites for gold led by 2006 champion Mathew Hayman, reigning national champion Cameron Meyer, sprinters Alex Edmondson and Steele von Hoff and all-rounders Mitch Docker and Callum Scotson.

“It’s a different feel and in a lot of ways it’s a lot trickier for us tactically, the depth is not there, but we’re really looking forward to it,” Hayman said.

“The course suits us, the team we’ve got is a great team, but we have some stiff competition.

“Cam and Kat have set the bar pretty high (in the time trial), the guys on the track and their phenomenal effort there is a bit of pressure there and hopefully we can deliver on Saturday.

“The English have some strong riders, the Welsh team and New Zealand, and they’ll be looking to us to carry the race in some ways, they know we want to win. They know it’s on home turf and they’ll be looking to us.”

The women’s race starts at 7.45am and the men are on course from 12.30pm.