Time on course may help Bond
A YEAR after winning Olympic gold on the water, Hamish Bond is set to gun for a world title on the bike.
The 31yearold former Otago Boys’ High School pupil begins his UCI road world championships campaign in Norway tonight.
Part of an 11cyclist team, Bond will compete in the individual time trial.
That will involve the twotime Olympic rowing pairs champion racing around a shorter than usual 31km course.
The course has a daunting 3km climb to the finish, however, and pundits believe it could equal a mountaintop finish of a road race.
Bond has lost 10kg since taking up cycling and has spent time in Europe with a time trial specialist coach and club, while having trained on the course.
‘‘I’ve seen the course more than most,’’ he said.
‘‘I have to do all I can to overcome my inexperience in general, so if a bit of course familiarity can help me out then certainly I will take it.
‘‘I’ve spent more time on it than any other people in the race, but whether that will help me in the race, then only time will tell.’’
He said he enjoyed the nature of the time trial being an individual challenge.
‘‘The good thing about the time trial is that regardless of whether the likes of Chris Froome is in the race or not, there is nothing he can do to directly impact my performance and vice versa.
‘‘It is not as if I am trying to follow him up a hill and getting humbled.
‘‘All I can do is execute my race and then wait until he finishes and see how we compare.
‘‘I’ve taken on a lot of responsibility. There’s no precedent for what I am doing, no pathway.
‘‘At times I get the perception that people think all this has fallen in front of me, but everything I have achieved to date in this venture, I have had to figure out how to do it.
‘‘That includes equipment, training, where to train, logistics, everything — I have had to take it all on. It has taken an allencompassing approach and that is the nature of it.
‘‘There are dreamers and doers. I have tried to dream big and now I’m trying to achieve it. It is all very well having an idea or a vision but it is about how to get there.’’ ‘‘Rowing would have been taking the easy path and I have not taken that but at the same time I am enjoying the experience.’’
New Zealander Regan Gough finished a midpack 22nd in the under23 men’s time trial yesterday, finishing the 37km course in 49min 46.78sec