Western Australia's Cameron Meyer celebrated his twenty-third birthday by successfully defending his Australian time trial crown at the 2011 Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships in Learmonth with Shara Gillow collecting the elite women's crown.

Luke Durbridge and Lauren Kitchen won the U23 men's and women's gold medals.

Meyer covered the 38.2kilometre course in 47mins 10.72seconds to finish thirteen seconds ahead of Garmin-Cervelo team mate Jack Bobridge of South Australia, who crossed the line in 47mins 23.42secs. Elite debutant Michael Matthews, riding in his new Rabobank team colours, was third in 47mins 31.26secs.

"It is an extra special (birthday) present and something I trained hard for over December, so to come out and win back to back is very nice," said Meyer. "I am looking forward to taking the jersey over to Europe to represent (Australia) again."

Coming off a 2010 in which he claimed three world titles and three Commonwealth Games gold medals on the track, Meyer, as the defending champion, was the last of 42 riders to tackle the course.

"There is that extra little bit of pressure knowing that you are going to be starting last, extra expectations on the shoulders, but it did motivate me to train that little bit harder," said Meyer. "I went in there knowing that I could win and that's what I wanted, the gold medal and the jersey.

"It is really hard to ride a forty kilometre time trial in January as you don't have the races under your belt that you do in July and June and the course was totally different to last year and the weather conditions weren't ideal out there and you had to be really careful on the corners, it was very hard to see.

"But that's a part of bike racing and I am very happy that I adapted to the conditions this year and last year and got the win."

It is the second straight year the Garmin team has claimed the double with the Meyer brothers sharing the time trial and road race spoils in 2010 and Bobridge winning Sunday's elite men's road race ahead of Meyer's time trial victory.

"We are a great unit and we are showing that we are taking the right steps as young professionals."

Bobridge, 21, admitted he was pretty tired after his solo break away effort of Sunday but was quick to praise his team mate's performance.

"When I got on the bike this morning, I knew my legs were still a bit tight and tired from Sunday road race," said Bobridge. "But that was to be expected, and I am still stoked with second place.

"It was so close and to finish that close to Cam, I was rapt as he is all class when it comes to time trials. He definitely deserves the win today," said Bobridge. "Now we look to next week's Tour Down Under as our results here show that we have good form and we have a very good strong team there too."

For reigning under 23 road race World Champion Matthews the third place on the podium was a welcome result in his first year in the elite ranks.

"It was a first day on the new Giant (bike), so it was a bit interesting over the first ten kilometres, but I managed to get my tempo going over," said Matthews. "It is a dream come true coming that close to a rider of that ability."

in the day Queensland's Shara Gillow claimed her first national road crown taking out the women's time trial in tough conditions.

A member of Team Jayco AIS, Gillow battled heavy rains from start to finish to record a time of 38mins 17secs for the 27.1kilometre course, just under three seconds ahead of South Australian newcomer Taryn Heather (38mins 20.21secs) in second place. 2010 road race champion Ruth Corset of Queensland (38mins 47.49secs) was third.

"I am pretty happy with my ride today, I haven't looked at any times yet, but I am just happy to be (the) Australian champion," said Gillow, whose father David represented Zimbabwe in the road race at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

Gillow, 23, was one of 43 women to set out on the Learmonth course, including defending champion Amber Halliday and 2008 winner Bridie O'Donnell, with the wet conditions causing headaches for all competitors.

"(In the wet) you have to take different lines around the corners," explained Gillow, adding, "I think I literally stopped on the corners, probably took them a lot slower than I should have, so I need to work on (riding in) wet conditions."

In the elite womens time trial at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships in Geelong last October, Shara was the best placed of the Australians finishing in eighth place.

"Eighth at worlds is pretty good, but this is my first national title, so it is a real honour to be national time trial champion," said Gillow who claimed the silver medal as an under 23 in 2009.

"I will do a few time trials over in Europe this year, and lots of stage races, so I am looking forward to them now," added Gillow, who now has the privilege of wearing the green and gold jersey in all individual time trial events during 2011.

A surprise silver medalist, Heather recorded a podium finish in her first national championships and her first time trial at any level.

A former national level distance runner as a junior, Heather began cycling just four months ago as part of a fitness regime.

And after attending an AIS National Talent Identification session in Adelaide late in 2010, she was quickly asked to join the South Australian Institute of Sport cycling program.

"I had no idea what to expect, I have been training and just came out and gave it my all," said the twenty-eight-year-old, "I just wanted to finish in this weather.

"At the moment I am still developing, so every day I am learning something new about cycling, so I just want to enjoy it and see where it goes.

"It is all really fast and overwhelming, but I love it" added Heather.

O'Donnell finished less than two seconds off the podium in fourth (38mins 48.79secs), with Halliday (39mins 26.11secs) a further forty seconds back in seventh place.

Canberra's Lauren Kitchen finished eighth overall in a time 39mins 32.16secs to take the gold in the women's under 23 classification. Tasmania's Amy Cure took the silver medal in 39mins 39.21secs, with South Australia's Carlee Taylor (39mins 56.91secs) claiming bronze.

In the under 23 men's event, 2010 world championship under 23 time trial silver medalist Luke Durbridge, 19, was too classy for his competitors, taking out the 27.1kilometre event by almost a minute.

The West Australian averaged 48.71kilometres an hour over the 27.1kilomete course to finish in 33mins 23.01secs, fifty seconds ahead of Queensland's Michael Hepburn (34mins13.29secs). Fellow Queenslander Jay McCarthy completed the clean sweep for Team Jayco AIS with bronze (34mins27.62secs).

"I am really stoked to take this out, as it will be really good to wear the under 23 national colours in Europe," said Durbridge, 19.

Last October, Durbridge became the youngest rider in history to claim a medal in the under 23 time trial at a world championships, finishing an agonising 1.9 seconds outside the gold medal at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships in Geelong. He then headed to the Commonwealth Games where he claimed bronze in the open men's time trial.

The 2009 junior world champion was the second last rider of 40 to take to the course with defending champion Rohan Dennis of South Australia behind him, despite the inclement weather Durbridge blistered around the course, overtaking the rider ahead of him, road race silver medallist Nathan Haas, by the half way point.

"I came here as one of the favourites so I had a fair bit of pressure, and as I had Rohan chasing me, I was a bit nervous," explained Durbridge.

"So probably I rode a little bit on fear, hoping I could take it out today, and I think running on adrenaline worked.

"And knowing the ground was going to be wet, I just took it carefully (as) you are not going to win if you crash, so you might as well slow down at the corners and make up the speed on the straights, which I did.

"It's a good start (to 2011), but worlds are a long way off, so it's a good confidence booster that I can wear the colours in Europe, but I am not going to get ahead of myself," added Durbridge.

Team Jayco AIS filled the top five positions as Damian Howson and Nick Aitken placed fourth and fifth respectively. Durbridge praised his team for today's performances given their disappointment in not securing a podium finish in Saturday's U23 men's road race.

"Full credit to all the guys and the coaching and support staff. It's a fantastic feeling, a real good moral booster for the team to come out here and finish on a high," said Durbridge.

Hepburn, 19, a member Australia's reigning world and Commonwealth Games champion pursuit teams, was also pleased with his ride.

"You go out to win, but look who won – one of the best time triallers in the world," said Hepburn, adding "My preparation hasn't been all that great, so I can't be disappointed with second."

Similarly 2010 junior road World Championships silver medalist McCarthy, 18, was ecstatic to finish on the podium alongside his team mates.

"First year out of juniors and the last 12 months I have really worked on my time trial, and am happy to get third today," said McCarthy.

Cycling Australia