Bond captures NZ time trial title
Multi-Olympic and world rowing champion Hamish Bond bagged his first national title in cycling on the first day of the New Zealand elite championships in Napier.
Bond, who won 22 national titles in rowing, dominated to win the elite men’s cycling time trial, while Auckland’s Georgia Williams won the women’s honours, to claim the first victory for her Mitchelson-Scott World Tour team for 2018.
Bond, who turned to cycling after the Rio Olympics, showed his development in the sport, and time trialling in particular, with a resounding performance to win in 50:48.90, with a sizeable 1:30 buffer to runner-up Michael Vink (Canterbury).
Williams also proved strongest to win the women’s honours in 29.02.89, to be 14 seconds clear of defending champion Rushlee Buchanan.
The winning times were the fastest in the three years that the championships have been run on a challenging course based around Church Road Winery, and made doubly challenging with fierce winds from the storm that hit the country.
“I am really pleased with the result. It was tough out there today. Conditions were definitely faster last year,” said Bond.
“It was a real challenge down on the aero bars in that big crosswind. Mind you I do a lot of training on the time trial bike and quite a bit of it in Wellington over the last year around the waterfront. I can tell you the wind today was nothing,” he joked.
“For me I am a lot faster than 12 months ago.
‘‘I have been basically training exclusively for time trialling for the last 12 months including three months in the UK with some smart people over there.
“I am still quite a margin behind the top people in the world. I have to get faster, get more power, be more aerodynamic and keep thinking about my equipment.
‘‘That is what I want and need to continue to do if I am to realise my dream of competing in this sport at the Commonwealth Games, the world championships and ultimately the Olympics.”
Bond, who finished third in debut last year, was 1:20 ahead after the first of two laps of the 40km event.
He gradually built on his advan- tage to finish clear of Vink, the former under-23 road and time trial champion, and 2016 road race champion Jason Christie, who recovered from a crash on the first lap.
“This is just a start. You look at 10 years in a sport to master your craft and I have been riding for one year. I am on an accelerated path with some good sponsors in Vantage Aluminium, who also sponsor Cycling New Zealand. Their support is enabling me to follow my passion and my dream and ultimately to test myself as an athlete which is what is all about.”
Williams showed the benefit of her first year on the World Tour stage with a powerful performance to win her first national road title.
She was 20 seconds clear at the halfway mark but paid the price for a fast start as Buchanan, a proven performer for her United Healthcare professional team and a key part of the women’s track endurance squad, pushed hard into the buffeting breeze.
However Williams proved held on to finish ahead of Buchanan and Auckland’s Bronwyn MacGregor, who gained her first elite podium.
“It was pretty tough and crazy windy out there. I was worried when I woke up today. I am just so relieved to win a national title,” said Williams, who has finished runner-up three times in the road race, and has a second and third placings in the time trial.
“It is nice to be able to take the jersey back to our team and to wear it in some of the biggest races will be an hour and awesome.
“I’ve come here focussed more on the road race although I wanted to do well in the time trial because the course suits me. I went out too hard but managed to hold on which was lucky.
“To be the first win for my Mitchelton-Scott team for 2018 is doubly great.”
Nelson newcomer Ian Talbot, now based in Christchurch, upset a talented field to win the under- 23 men’s time trial title. The 20-yearold only took up cycling a year ago, and with no significant background in sport.
The fifth rider off, Talbot clocked 53:54 for the 40km journey, and took up residence on the Hot Seat as the remaining 21 riders came and fell short of his time.
Talbot, a mechanical engineer student at Canterbury University, calculated well to win by 15 seconds from Canterbury’s Jake Marryatt and outstanding Aucklander James Fouche third a further 17 seconds back.