Catch up with the post-race highlights and replays from the Australian National Road Championships on SBS On Demand.
Despite struggling midway through the 185.6 km race, Plapp dug deep and found an incredible second wind to claim victory ahead of Simon Clarke and Michael Matthews in an enthralling finish.
The second-year pro made three attacks on the final lap of 16 around the 11.6km Buninyong course before finally breaking free with little more than 1 kilometre to go.
"I didn't know how to play it today," Plapp said.
"I really just tried to bide my time and I don't know what happened on that last lap.
"I can't believe I pulled it off."
The result means Plapp becomes just the second rider in more than 40 years to win back-to-back nationals, joining his hero Cameron Meyer who won it in 2020 and 2021.
The Melbourne product revealed he was not in the best shape leading into the race due to a pre-Christmas training crash and said recent conversations with runner-up Clarke helped him to the win.
"I knew having him there I had to race really smart and try to think what he would do," Plapp said.
"I was almost lucky that Bling (Matthews) was there because they all looked at him and that gave me the chance."
Matthews, who finished third in last year’s World Championships in the road race, said he did all he could to claim his first national road race title.
“I had a big target on my back in that final (lap) and I did all I could to get rid of riders,” he said.
“I chased him (Plapp) a fair few times but the other two were just sitting on my wheel letting me chase Plapp all the time.
“At some point you have to gamble a little bit and hope the other two do a pull to try to get him back also and unfortunately we gambled at the wrong time and he pulled away.”
Matthews now turns his attention to the Tour Down Under and is confident his form today will bode well for it.
“My legs feel quite good,” he said.
“Today I surprised myself a bit and I was quite pleasantly surprised by how I performed in the heat, coming straight from Europe last week.
