Bond claims time trial honours
DOUBLE Olympic rowing gold medallist Hamish Bond claimed elite time trial honours on the opening day of the Oceania Road Cycling Championships in Tasmania yesterday.
Bond, who moved to cycling last year, produced a confidenceboosting performance to claim the 41km test against time three weeks before his cycling introduction to the Commonwealth Games.
The Waikato rider clocked 51min 3.44sec for the 41km test in Evansdale, near Launceston, to beat twotime defending champion Sean Lake from Australia by 32sec.
It proved an excellent day for the New Zealand riders, as Christchurch’s Jake Marryatt won the men’s under23 hon ours, and
Otago’s Mikayla Harvey won the women’s under23 crown.
Nelson’s Finn FisherBlack was second in the men’s under19 time trial, Commonwealth Gamesbound Sharlotte Lucas (Canterbury) was third in the elite women and Manawatu’s Libby Arbuckle was runnerup to Harvey in the under23 women.
There was plenty of attention on Bond, who took up cycling 18 months ago, in the discipline he will contest on the Gold Coast.
‘‘This was a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games,’’ Bond said.
‘‘It is always good to get the win against some quality competition on what looked a benign course but it proved quite challenging.’’
‘‘With those rollers over the back of the course, I used up a bit too much energy early and I needed a bit more power in the legs against the headwind coming home.
‘‘I will take some learnings from this and, hopefully, put out a solid performance on the Gold Coast.’’
The action now moves to Railton, near Devonport, for the road races on the famed climbs in Tasmania. The under19 men, elite and under23 women compete today and the under19 women, elite and under23 men tomorrow.