Bond’s cycling gathers speed
Two Rio athletes took out the senior time trial titles on the first day of the New Zealand age group cycling championships in Cambridge yesterday.
Rio Olympic champion rower Hamish Bond, who has expended plenty of sweat and toil on nearby Lake Karapiro, had an impressive effort to win his first national senior cycling title.
Meanwhile Hannah van Kampen, who was the sighted pilot for visually impaired ParaCyclist Amanda Cameron at Rio, took out the senior women’s honours.
Bond, who is specialising in time trials in his year away from rowing, has his dream set on qualifying for the road cycling world championships later in the year.
After finishing third in the elite national time trial in January, Bond (Te Awamutu Sports) took out the 25.4km senior time trial in 31:50, which was 30 seconds clear of road racing teammate and former US-based professional Michael Torckler (Stratford).
He was pleased with his performance, which he rated his best in the handful of time trials this year.
‘‘It was a better performance in terms of my power output and my splits. I didn’t fade at all which was pleasing,’’ Bond said.
‘‘I am learning what I am capable of and just trying to keep improving and see where it gets me.
‘‘Today was certainly over roads I am familiar with. There was a healthy head wind on the way out but you had to light a few candles going out because I knew everyone would be fast coming back.’’
Bond is heading to the UK next month to join the AeroCoach club which specialises in time trialling. ‘‘It will give me more experience and hopefully I keep improving and see what I can do.
‘‘I am realistic that at some stage there will be a blip on the road but I will give it all I have. I really enjoy the time trial. It suits me.’’
Van Kampen, from the Ramblers club in the Hawkes Bay, clocked 37:57 to hold off the challenge from outstanding West Coast cyclist Sharlotte Lucas (Papanui, Christchurch) by 16 seconds with Kerri-anne Page, also from the Ramblers club, third in 38:41 in the senior women’s time trial.
‘‘I certainly was not expecting that at all and I’m really stoked. I’ve won some under-19 and under-23 titles but this is my first senior win,’’ van Kampen said.