Felix English goes head-to-head with Orica GreenEdge's Luke Durbridge for sprints win

Sprints classification jersey wearer Felix English heads the group followed by series leader Matt Goss in Portarlington, Victoria (Photo: Dean Francis Casey)

Irish international Felix English has just about survived a full onslaught by the Orica GreenEdge ProTour team to retain his lead in the sprints classification at the Micthelton Bay Classic series of criteriums in Australia.

The Rapha Condor JLT rider went into today’s third criterium of four in the series with a six-point cushion in the sprints classification from the former U23 World Champion in 2^nd place.

And English again went for broke early in today’s one-hour race in Portarlington, Victoria, just as he had done yesterday when he took second place in the opening prime. Today he went one better, taking the maximum three points on offer in that opening gallop.

However, with the race then splitting badly and Orica GreenEdge clearly determined to win the race, sprints competition and series outright, Durbridge took the maximum three points in the second and third sprints as he got clear in a two-man escape.

And with English failing to score in those, that left the margin between the riders at just one point when the race ended, with tomorrow’s final criterium in Williamston remaining.

Durbridge, the reigning Australian elite time trial and road race champion, took victory in today’s race from breakaway companion Patrick Shaw (Satalyst), with Tom Scully (Total Rush/Hyster Racing) in 3^rd place just 19 seconds back.

In 4^th place was Zak Dempster who now takes the series yellow jersey from Orica GreenEdge’s Matt Goss, who won yesterday.

In the end, English came home in 25^th place, 1:16 down on Durbridge on a day when over half the field abandoned on what was a testing circuit in breezy conditions.

English has been in great form in this series, taking 2^nd in the first race and 8^th yesterday, while holding the sprints classification lead from the first race.