Zakkari Dempster got his 2014 season off to the perfect start when the NetApp-Endura rider won the first race in the traditional opener of the Australian cycling summer, the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic. The NetApp-Endura rider made it into a 7-rider breakaway with the Orica-GreenEDGE pair Matthew Goss and Luke Durbridge and got the better of the star duo in the hectic finale.

2014 has barely started but as usual the fast criterium series, Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, has already kicked off the new road cycling season and opened the Australian summer. On a calendar that culminates with the Australian national championships, the Tour Down Under and the Herald Sun Tour during the next month, the four criteriums have traditionally offered the major Australian stars a chance to get their legs going before the major targets.

Zakkari Dempster showed that he is ready for the new year by winning the first race of the series, the Richie Boulevard Criterium in Geelong. The NetApp-Endura rider who rides for the SASI team in the four races, was the strongest in a 7-rider breakaway that decided the race.

Dempster made it into the group with his SASI teammate Harry Carpenter but they were up against a seemingly invincible force made up of the Orica-GreenEDGE pair Luke Durbridge and Matthew Goss. While the two pairs were looking at each other, Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT), Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics') and Luke Parker (Jayco VIS) were on their own in the decisive move.

With Goss being one of the fastest sprinters in the world, Orica-GreenEDGE was keen to bring it down to a sprint and so Durbridge used his strong time trialing skills to keep things under control. They accomplished their mission but when the race was set to be decided, Goss had run out of legs. Carpenter gave Dempster - a fast sprinter himself - a perfect lead-out and beat English and Jones in the final dash to the line.

"I couldn't be happier. January 2nd and one win so it's one more than last year," Dempster told Cyclingnews after the finish. "I felt pretty good. I could tell after the warm up I was in good shape and after all the training I've done in the last two months.

"You could see guys like Gossy just labouring a little bit as he comes into shape for the Spring Classics, so I could see that earlier on so we tried to put the pressure on with Carpenter attacking and that really played in my hands cause I got a rest for a bit and so I felt strong on the last lap."

Super talent Caleb Ewan who will continue his amateur career until joining Orica-GreenEDGE as a stagiaire in the second half of the season and making his professional debut in 2015, has dominated the event in the past two years despite being just 19 years of age. Having crashed in his build-up for the event, he missed the key break and like the rest of the peloton was taken out of the race when three laps remained.

The race series continues tomorrow with the Eastern Gardens Criterium where Dempster will be wearing the first leader's jersey.

Result:

1. Zakkari Dempster (SASI) 58.01

2. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT)

3. Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics')

4. Luke Parker (Jayco VIS)

5. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEDGE)

6. Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE)

7. Harry Carpenter (SASI) +0.08

8. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) +0.58

9. Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor JLT)

10. George Tansley (SASI)

General classification:

1. Zakkari Dempster (SASI) 12

2. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) 10

3. Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics') 8

4. Luke Parker (Jayco VIS) 7

5. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEDGE) 6

6. Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) 5

7. Harry Carpenter (SASI) 4

8. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) 3

9. Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor JLT) 2

10. George Tansley (SASI) 1

Sprints classification:

1. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) 8

2. Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics') 4

3. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEDGE) 3

4. Luke Parker (Jayco VIS) 2

5. Harry Carpenter (SASI) 1

Teams classification:

1. SASI 17

2. Orica-GreenEDGE 14

3. Rapha-Condor JLT 12

4. Procon Telematics' 8

5. Jayco VIS  7