Jade was in the lead group going into the final kilometre on Sunday’s 90-kilometre road stage with only six other riders remaining at the head of the field when the tyre blew out.

Jade was quickly off her bike and with the wheel removed when the spares vehicle stopped for her.

A rapid change and a desperate chase then ensued but Jade was unable to regain the group ahead in these few hundred metres.

The incident cost Jade 51 seconds of time.

Jade had started this third day of the Canberra Women’s tour in second overall position, just five seconds behind the race leader, Lucy Bechtel (Specialised Bicycles Team) with Jade’s NSWIS team-mate Gina Ricardo almost a minute behind in third overall position.

Two other NSWIS riders were in top ten positions.

This was a stage with many tough climbs and the field went into the first of these climbs in a bunch of 20 riders but this was reduced to just six survivors at the final kilometre.

Gina Ricardo placed second in this stage and moved closer to Bechtel but finished second overall in the event.

Jade slipped to third overall following this last stage misfortune.

This three-day, four-stage event started on Friday with an individual time trial.

This is one of Jade’s strongest disciplines.

However a broken gear mechanism forced her onto a borrowed bike and she placed second to Bechtel in this race for time with a 37-second deficit.

Saturday’s racing featured a criterium at the Mount Stromlo circuit followed by a road stage with time bonus sprints.

Colligan was sprinting well and collected enough time to move up to be just five seconds away from the leader going into the final stage of the event.

Jade had the form to take the overall win but it was not to be this year in Canberra.

Jade Colligan continues with high profile racing next weekend when she lines up with the NSWIS/Sydney Uni team in the National Series Tour of the South West at Warrnambool. 

Local racing for the Nowra Velo Club returns to Braidwood Road next Sunday with a 42-kilometre handicap starting at 8.30am from Wugan Street.

From the club race on May 7, all Nowra Velo Club events will start at 8.30am.