Lynch in the lead, but watch out for Polites
She might not have won the tour, but Polites has made a statement in round 1.
After Round 1 of the SBS Women’s League, Odette Lynch (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) has pulled on the first league leaders jersey of the season. Lynch put in strong performances on both stage 1 and 2 before a stellar ride at the Bend Motorsport Park propelled her to the overall victory. She heads into this season as one of the favourites for every sprint she lines up for and we’ll no doubt see her on the top step of the podium again this season.
It was second placed Alyssa Polites (Meridian Bikebug) though who appears to be in the best position to set up a tilt at the overall title. Winning the stage 1 time trial showed she has the engine to do some damage to her competitors, but her performance on stage 2 is the most telling of what’s to come. Celebrating a fraction too early in the criterium allowed Keira Will (Team Redcat) to slip past and take the victory, with Polites settling for second. I’m sure she has played this over in her head many times, but it’s the best kind of mistake to make; one that’s easy to avoid in future.
We know Polites can climb with the best, finishing in the front group on the mountain stage at the Tour of Tasmania last year, we know she can time trial with the best, and we know she can sprint with the best. These are all the ingredients you need to score points consistently on stages and in the overall standings.
I have no doubt that Polites will be approaching round 2 with an immense amount of fire in the belly, and with her form at the moment, the bunch better watch out.
You can catch all the action of the 2026 ProVelo Super League season in-person, or enjoy expanded broadcast coverage live and on demand on SBS in Australia, Sky New Zealand in NZ with all broadcast stages live stream to the rest of the world on www.provelosuperleague.com and Facebook.
Angus Calder - Cycling Analyst
