CYCLING: Just three days after winning the teams time trial world crown with professional outfit BMC, South Australia’s Rohan Dennis, 24, claimed a top five finish in the elite men’s time trial at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Dennis finished just 17 second off the podium in the event won by Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins (GBR). Triple reigning champion Tony Martin (GER) took silver and Tom Dumoulin (NED) bronze.
“Top five was a goal of mine, of course a medal would have been great, but in my second year, to get within about a minute of the win is huge,” said Dennis, who finished twelfth while on debut in the senior ranks in 2013.
“A great improvement from last year, so next year I am going to be even stronger hopefully.”
Dennis was part of the silver medal winning team pursuit squad at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In Spain on Wednesday, 63 riders set out on the 47.1km rolling course, with the early benchmark changing frequently among the early starters.
The fifth last starter of the day, Dennis posted the fifth best time of 13mins 38.86secs at the first time check, just 8.81secs off the fastest time of Martin (GER).
Dennis improved his standings at the second check with the third fastest time after all riders had passed, 6.97secs behind Bradley Wiggins (GBR-26:43.65).
Heading towards the final time check Dennis looked to be on target for a podium finish, however the pace of the first half and the undulating final section of the course proved tough with Dennis slipping to fourth 31seconds behind Wiggins' time of 41mins 50.14secs.
Dennis gave it everything to the line to post the second fastest time of 57mins 23.26secs, putting him in to the provisional silver medal position behind Kiryienka (BLR-57:13.44) by 10 seconds with four riders to finish.
However Wiggins stormed home to claim the gold medal in a time of 56mins 25.52secs, with Martin (56:51.75) 26secs slower claiming silver and Dumoulin (57:06.16) clinching bronze 40secs back.
“The first half I felt pretty solid, but I think that the first half took its toll on the last couple of climbs,” said Dennis, who finished 57 seconds behind Wiggins. “I started to lag a little bit, not so much on the climbs, but just after the top when I had to pick up the speed again.
“So I have something to work on.”
It has been a tremendous season for Dennis who has found the podium in half a dozen of World Tour time trials in 2014 including the Tours of California, de Romandie and Switzerland.
In a rare move, the 24-year-old switched teams mid-season, moving to BMC from Garmin-Sharp in early August.
“For me, my season overall has been absolutely awesome,” explained Dennis.
“Yes, I have had lots of second and thirds across the year, but they all disappeared after the team time trial win the other day.
“That was a highlight not just of the year, but of my career so far.
“To experience a world title in the seniors on the road is just an amazing experience.
“The change to BMC has been really easy actually, the team has been really patient with the transfer, not expecting too much performance wise.
“And when there is less pressure you tend to perform better and enjoy it more.”
Senior men’s head coach Bradley McGee was encouraged by Dennis’ performance.
“This is quite different to running second in other events, top five here is very encouraging and happy to see that Rohan can see that himself,” said McGee.
“He showed a lot of maturity today. The legs will come, the attitude is there.
“It is difficult to change team in the off season, but to do it mid year in the way he has, it is awesome.
“And to come away with TTT, he was a large contributor to that, is great for him.”
McGee and Dennis now turn their attentions to Sunday’s road race where Dennis will form a formidable nine-man Australian team with Simon Clarke (Selby, VIC / Orica-GreenEDGE), Cadel Evans (Barwon Heads, VIC / BMC), Simon Gerrans (Jamieson, VIC / Orica-GreenEDGE), Adam Hansen (Edmonton, QLD / Lotto-Belisol), Heinrich Haussler (Inverell, NSW / IAM Cycling), Matt Hayman (Araluen, NSW / Orica-GreenEDGE), Michael Matthews (Farrer, ACT / Orica-GreenEDGE) and Rory Sutherland (Canberra, ACT / Tinkoff Bank Saxo-Bank).
Cycling Australia
Previous Road World Cycling coverage below:
Storer wins bronze in under 19 time trial; Garfoot eleventh in women’s event
24 September
Australia’s time trial success continued at the UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, with West Australian Michael Storer collecting bronze in the under 19 men's event. In the women’s event, 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Katrin Garfoot (QLD) was eleventh.
Under 19 Recap
Storer, reigning under 19 time trial Oceania champion secured Australia's fourth medal of the week with a podium appearance behind gold and silver medallists German Lennard Kamna and Adrien Costa (USA).
"To be right up there, at my first world championships, it is amazing," said Storer, who started riding bikes at age 12 as his way of getting to school. "I am really happy with my ride, don't think I could have gone any faster."
Storer was the twelfth last of 69 riders to set out, and unlike yesterday’s wet and slippery conditions, dry roads greeted all starters for the 29.5km race against the clock.
At the first intermediate check, Storer was seventh fastest in 14mins 43.53secs, 21secs off the leading mark. At the second point, Storer had improved to fifth overall and continued his rise up the time standings over the final kilometres.
He crossed the finish line in 37mins 11.60secs which placed him in the silver medal position, just 13 seconds down on then leader Adrien Costa (USA-36:58.15).
It was a nervous wait for the Perth cyclist with 11 riders still on course, and it appeared he was set for silver until the final starter Lennard Kamna (GER) set a time of 36mins 13.49secs to take the gold and pushing Storer to bronze.
"It was relatively flat, there was one big climb towards the finish, knew I gave it everything you've got," said Storer, who claimed the criterium national title in July and finished fifth in the time trial.
"It was fantastic to see Macey and Campbell yesterday, and I just wanted to give it my best shot, so its great to keep the good outcomes going for Australia."
"It is the biggest thing I have ever done, biggest event I have been to, right at the top of my career now."
Women's Recap
In the women’s time trial, Australia’s lone entrant in the event Garfoot finished eleventh after posting a time of 40mins 11.52secs. She was just over one minute behind Lisa Brennauer (Germany) who added to her Specialized-Lululemon team’s time trial victory.
Martina Sablikova (CZE) set the early real benchmark of the day in 40mins 13.78secs, with riders moving in and out of the hot seat before Mieke Kroeger (GER) posted 39mins 26.45secs.
The 44th of 49 riders to hit the course, Garfoot went out hard, recording the seventh fastest time of 15mins 12.47secs through the first time check, just 13 seconds slower than the fastest time Ganna Solovey (UKR).
Over the second sector Garfoot slowed to be thirteenth, 50 seconds behind Solovey, before finishing slightly stronger to cross the line in the six fastest time of 40mins 11.52secs.
As the remaining riders finished, Garfoot’s time was good for eleventh place overall, 1min 23secs slower than the winning time of Brennauer (38:48.16). Solovey (39:06.84) took silver and Evelyn Stevens (USA) the bronze in 39mins 09.41secs.
“The plan was to go out hard, which I don’t normally do, and I struggled after half way, but it was a new experience and at least I gave it everything,” said the German-born Garfoot who won time trial bronze on her national team debut at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games last month.
“Yes, there were nerves for me at my first Championships, as it is a big event and there were lot of people out there.
“Not knowing what to expect, not having as much experience still, I will certainly learn from this.
“I will be storing some ideas away from this ahead of next season,” Garfoot said.
A late-comer to the sport of cycling, the 32-year-old Garfoot won the Oceania Road Championships and overall honours in the National Road Series in her first season of racing in 2013.
She was then awarded a spot on the 2014 JAYCO-AIS Women’s Endurance Squad before signing with professional outfit Orica-AIS in June.
Cycling Australia Senior Women's Road Coach Martin Barras was pleased with her performance given little time on the world stage.
“Today, the name of the game for us was to go fast and hard and get a feel of what it is like. And at the first time check, she was only 14 seconds of the best bike riders. She had never gone that quick,” Barras said.
“Yes, she suffered in the middle, but she handled it really well. Technically she is excellent, there is little work needed there.
“There are a number of big points for us from today and this season. She has a couple of strong showings this year and they were done so in a conservative way.
“And on the context of the season, she has gone from racing domestically, to signing a pro contract, racing her first professional event in Europe, making a Commonwealth Games team and winning a medal, to making her debut here.
“Expectations have be reasonable, and there is work to be done, but she needs to be encouraged by her results already this year,” Barras added.
Cycling Australia
Golden start for Australia at Road Cycling World Champs
23 September
CYCLING: Tasmania’s young riders have got Australia off to a golden start at the UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain.
Tasmania’s Macey Stewart, 18, excelled in the wet conditions to take out the women’s junior (under 19) time trial and then just hours later Campbell Flakemore, 22, secured Australia’s second gold medal in the under 23 event.
The junior girls showed their outstanding depth with Anna-Leeza Hull (NSW) collecting bronze and Alex Manly (SA) placed fourth.
The men’s junior and women’s under 23 riders will race Tuesday.
Rohan Dennis is the first of the senior riders to compete when he is the fifth last rider away in the men’s time trial on Wednesday (Thursday morning AEST).
Remarkably the road time trial victory for Stewart, was her third world championship title of 2014.
“I just can’t believe it. I don’t even know how I am feeling right now,” said Stewart, who added to the two gold – omnium and team pursuit - she won at the Junior Track World Championship held in Korea in August.
“To win a world title, it is something you dream of. Didn’t think I was capable of one, so to achieve a third in one year, it just shows hard work pays off.”
Stewart (TAS) was the first of three Australians, and the 25th of 49 riders, to set out on the 13.9km course on the wet Ponferrada roads. She was the fastest at the halfway mark before riding into the hot seat with a time of 20mins 08.39secs, the quickest by 26 seconds.
“The conditions weren’t ideal for racing, but when I saw it was wet I was happy as I am confident in the rain. I tend to take it hard, I am more game in the wet and that’s what I did today. I gave it everything,” said Stewart.
Hull (NSW) found herself in fifth overall at the time check, 13 seconds slower than Stewart, however a strong second half saw her move provisionally in to the silver medal position behind her team mate with 20mins 21.70sec.
Pernille Mathiesen (DEN) moved in to the silver medal position, moving Hull down to the bronze medal spot, while 2013 bronze medallist Manly (SA) finished in a storm over the final few kilometres to post a time of 20mins 22.20secs, just off the podium by the narrowest of margins.
“I was an emotional wreck while I was in the hot seat as Mathiesen was coming to the line. I have never shaken as much in my life as I did then, I felt sick, my heart was in my mouth,” revealed Stewart.
“Then when I saw her time, and she hadn’t beaten mine, I knew only Alex was left out there and right then, I wouldn’t have cared if Alex had come through for the win. That would have been fantastic too.
“We have all worked so hard and I am so proud of the girls and team. Thank you so much to our coach Donna (Rae-Szalinski) who has put in so much hard work.”
The trio will now switch their focus to the under 19 road race to be held on Friday 26 September.
Flakemore strikes second Aussie gold in Spain
Flakemore secured Australia’s second gold medal of the 2014 UCI Road World Championships with a nail biting victory in the under 23 time trial.
The 22-year-old staged a dramatic comeback over the final stages of the event to edge Ryan Mullen (IRL) by less than half a second over the 36km course to take the gold.
It was Australia’s fourth gold medal in the event over the past six years, with Flakemore joining Jack Bobridge (2009), Luke Durbridge (2011) and Damian Howson (2013) on the under 23 time trial honour roll.
“This is fantastic, I am just super happy, this is a great start for the championships for Australia,” said Flakemore.
“It is pretty special to be able to do this, particularly after Macey’s win. It is pretty cool for two Tasmanians too to claim the first golds on the same day.”
Rafael Ferreira Reis (POR) set the early benchmark of 44mins 9.26secs, with the difficult conditions making it tough for riders to eclipse the time.
Mullen, who was the ninth last to start, reached the first intermediate check (12.2km) in 13mins 42.47secs to post the fastest time, 20 seconds ahead of Flakemore at the same point.
At the second time check (23.2km), Flakemore was still 21 seconds in arrears of the Irishman, however a fast finish saw him post a time of 43mins 49.94secs which moved him into the hot seat as the fastest by less than half a second.
“I was 20 seconds down at both the checks, but I kept a lot in the tank for the last climb,” he said. “It was super wet out there, so I took all the roundabouts cautiously, and the last downhill with caution, but it was the same for everyone.”
It was a nervous wait for Flakemore after this as he had to wait for the final rider Stefan Keung (SUI) to complete the course. However the Swiss rider couldn’t steal the win from the Australian with Flakemore taking gold ahead of Mullen, while Keung grabbed the bronze.
Flakemore’s victory comes nearly a month to the day after he claimed the opening prologue at the Tour de l'Avenir, and a week after finding the podium at the Chrono Champenois - the event he won in 2013.
Jayco-AIS World Tour Academy Coach James Victor was proud to see the hard-working Flakemore come away with the win.
“We have been here for a week since Chrono Champenois, and the weather forecast was predictable, we knew it would rain and Campbell has been training in that and was ready for that,” said Victor.
“He has has proven that he is more than capable of standing of top and thoroughly deserves this today.
“And as his fourth (final) year in the under 23 category, I am certain this will seal something for him for his future.“
For more information visit the event website>>>> or Cycling Australia website
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