A long time coming for Porte
CYCLING: He’s won Paris – Nice and was the first lieutenant to Tour de France winner Chris Froome, but now Tasmania’s Richie Porte (Team Sky) can finally call himself a national champion.
In wet Buninyong conditions, Porte ripped through the hilly 40.9 kilometre course in a blistering 51 minutes and 50.86 seconds, seven seconds ahead of Rohan Dennis (BMC) and 26 seconds ahead of Jack Bobridge (Budget Forklifts).
“I’m thrilled to bits to win and what a great podium we’ve got. To win this time trial in such a class field is fantastic,” said an ecstatic Porte.
It’s taken Porte more than seven years to claim an elusive green and gold jersey, having won two time trial bronze medals and then road race bronze in 2014 behind Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Cadel Evans (BMC).
“I’m absolutely thrilled to ride in Europe with the national time trial championship jersey, I’m just excited I can’t wait.
“I think it was a great course for me and it was great to have Andrew Christie-Johnson of Avanti racing behind me, it was like being back in the old days it was fantastic,” said Porte of his former coach and team manager.
“I haven’t done a good time trial on a course like this for a long time but we’ve done a lot of work on my time trial position and it’s a credit to Tim Kerrison [Team Sky] who’s believed in me even after the disaster which was 2014,” said Porte who battled illness throughout the previous season.
It was heartbreak for Dennis who clocked a 32 seconds advantage on Porte at the turn-around point.
“I probably went out a little bit too hard. From my own calculations at the halfway point I was pretty sure I was up on Richie, but he came home a lot harder than me obviously,” said the visibly exhausted Dennis post race.
“It is disappointing for myself to get second again, but for someone of Richie’s calibre to beat me, and the race being so close, I can somewhat hold my head high,” said Dennis who consistently found the podium in a number of World Tour level time trials in 2014 as well as at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
For Bobridge, it was positive signs of form heading into Sunday’s road race and his attempt at the track time trial hour world record on January 31.
“I’m rapt to come away with third, I’m still super happy with that,” said Bobridge. “Obviously Richie [Porte] was on another level today so you’ve got to take your hat off to him.
“Obviously I’ve had a little bit of a different preparation from last year, with a lot more base endurance stuff and left the intensity to later, obviously to base myself around the hour record.”
The elite men will meet again in Buninyong on Sunday, January 11, for the elite men’s road race beginning at 10.50am. With Cadel Evans expected to be a factor in this his last National Championships.
** Porte will be hoping to make his Olympic Games debut at the Rio Olympic Games in August 2016 **.
Gillow time trials closer to all-time record
Time Trial queen Shara Gillow (Rabo-Liv Women’s Cycling Team) claimed her fourth national crown in five years after conquering the lumpy 29.3 kilometre time trial course in Buninyong on Thursday.
The 27-year-old London Olympian from the Sunshine Coast shone in the persistent rain in her first appearance for European team Rabo-Liv, taking the gold ahead of Bridie O’Donnell (Total Rush Hyster) and Taryn Heather (Bicycle Superstore).
“I’ve come [to the nationals] since 2009, I’ve medalled six times and this is my fourth national title, so I’m really happy. It’s an awesome result today,” said Gillow, who now sits just one national time trial title behind Kathy Watt who holds the record on five.
“After winning it three years in a row, to finish second last year and lose the jersey, I just realised how special it is to get back the green and gold.
"But is also really special to to it in the Rabo-Liv colours too."
In warm but wet conditions, Gillow gained significant ground in the early kilometres of the race to keep the 2008 national championO’Donnell in her sights.
With Commissaire's keeping a close eye on the distance between the pair, Gillow maintained an acceptable distance according to race officials, before digging deep to pass O'Donnell metres from the line.
“I wasn’t really concentrating on anything but my own race. I’m working on finishing stronger and that’s always improving,” Gillow said.
O’Donnell stopped the clock in 45 minutes and 22.60 seconds, just over a minute behind Gillow (44 minutes 21.12seconds) while South Australian Heather clinched the bronze medal in 45 minutes and 30.58 seconds.
In the under 23 race, West Australian Rebecca Mackey (Wormall Civil) finished fourth overall and claimed gold in the age group ahead of Ellen Skerritt (QLD) and Jenelle Crooks (Holden Women’s Cycling).
Mackey, who earned silver in the under 23 women’s criterium on Wednesday night, crossed the line to post the fastest time of the day before Heather, Gillow and O’Donnell surpassed the 21 year old.
“It’s amazing, I can’t believe that I did it. I’ve been training really hard for this event, I’m so happy,” said Mackey. “It started to rain on the turnaround and the wind picked up.
"It was pretty horrible conditions but I have raced in worse. It was a pretty tough course and the rain was helping at all.”
Watch the highlights of the Time Trial races here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvpOlj4XgEQ#t=17
Cycling Australia Release
