ROAD CYCLING: Rohan Dennis and Katrin Garfoot have announced themselves as strong chances for Rio 2016 after claiming the 2016 Cycling Australia Road National Championships time trial events in Buninyong, Victoria.
Men's Time Trial
Rohan Dennis (SA) has scorched the Buninyong time trial circuit to claim the gold medal at the 2016 Cycling Australia Road National Championships.
In a blistering time of 51mins 13.30secs Dennis beat his new teammate and defending champion Richie Porte (TAS) by 38 seconds. Sean Lake (VIC), took the bronze medal finishing one minute 34 seconds behind Dennis.
It was fourth time lucky for Dennis, who was ecstatic to finally take the top step in his pet event.
“It’s always a dream to win the Aussie nationals. I’ve won under 23s and now I’ve got a senior medal and to be able to wear the green and gold in every time trial this year is a true honour. Obviously Sunday is still to come and there’s still another jersey so we can’t celebrate tonight but we can have a little bit of a celebration and say job well done for Thursday.”
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best at whatever I aim to be at. Rio is my big goal this year, the time trial, then there’s the Qatar World Championships time trial as well, and I’m looking at heading more towards the general classification side of things after Rio,” said Dennis.
“Sunday (elite men’s road race) is going to be a bit of a numbers game to be honest with Orica-GreenEDGE as always. They’ve got a lot of strong riders but we’ve got Richie and I. It’s a lot like Cadel and I, but Richie and I are strong, we’re one/two in the time trial and I’m sure we can play a good card and hopefully take another green and gold.
While disappointed to lose his time trial crown, Richie Porte was happy that the national champions jersey will be on the shoulders of his 2016 teammate.
“Today has been more then what I’ve expected to be honest. It was a bit more of a relaxed start to the year. I’m happy to be on the podium and I’m not surprised that Rohan has taken this win, he deserves it, he’s hungry and I know how much he’s wanted that national jersey.”
“Last year I think he (Rohan) got his pacing strategy a little bit wrong and we’re team mates now so I’m thrilled to see him get a win and properly pace himself this year” added Porte.
Competing in only the fourth time trial of his cycling career, Sean Lake was ecstatic with his bronze medal.
“I’m absolutely stoked. There was a dream and a plan going into the event and it just came together perfectly for me and that’s all I was hoping for today. I’m absolutely honoured to be on the podium with those two guys (Dennis and Porte)” concluded Lake.
The elite men will next be in action on Super Sunday, when they take on Mt Buninyong in the 183km road race starting at 12pm.
Women's Time Trial
Now she has her first Australian championship, Katrin Garfoot is targeting cycling gold at the Rio Olympics.
The 34-year-old dominated the 29.3km women's individual time trial on day two of the nationals at Buninyong, near Ballarat.
She clocked 43 minutes and 16 seconds, 43 seconds clear of defending champion Shara Gillow.
Tiffany Cromwell won the bronze medal with 44:54.
Garfoot only took up the time trial two years ago in the immediate lead-up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
She promptly won bronze and last September Garfoot finished fourth at the world championships - just nine seconds behind New Zealand winner Linda Villumsen.
Garfoot still has to qualify for the Rio team, but Thursday's performance again showed she is well-placed to ride in the Games time trial.
Her radio communications were not working during the ride and Garfoot only found out how well she had ridden at the finish.
"(It) might have been good, because I kept pushing to the end," she said.
"It was a cocktail of being stuffed and being happy - but I had to wait for the other girls to come in.
"It's always a waiting game and I was just hoping, wishing that it's not fourth again."
This was Garfoot's first time trial since the worlds and she was unsure of her form coming into the nationals.
Queensland coach Kim Palmer gave her a hard program and Garfoot said she only started feeling the benefits a few days ago.
She said the Glasgow bronze was a better feeling, because it was unexpected and there was not the pressure surrounding Thursday's event.
While Garfoot and Gillow were focussed on the time trial, Cromwell's main objective will be the road race on Sunday.
She is with a new team, Canyon//SRAM, and has changed her off-season preparations as Cromwell also aims for Rio Games selection.
"Obviously I have a huge target on my back - Orica-AIS, I know the tactics they will play against me," Cromwell said of the dominant Australian team.
"I just have to be smart and I think I'm just as strong a rider.
"I've worked on my power a lot over the last few years.
"Rio is a massive goal of mine - a massive target."
AAP