CYCLING

Rio athletes find success in road cycling time trials

By Sports Media NZ Ltd

GRASSROOTS TRUST AGE GROUP CYCLING NATIONALS – DAY 1

Two Rio athletes took out the senior time trial titles on the first day of the Grassroots Trust Age Group Cycling Nationals in Cambridge today.

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 Para-Cyclist 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.

The result surprised the young Paralympian.

“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.

“There was some wind into us on the way out but it was really fast coming back which is how I like it.”
Van Kampen has been enjoying time training “in the sun in Hawkes Bay” on her own over the summer but is looking forward to getting back on the tandem with Cameron after they finished fourth in the pursuit at Rio.

“The tandem is the focus again now for me now. I went away from it but now returned and loving it.”
There was an impressive effort from Cycling New Zealand track high performance rider Bryony Botha (Te Awamutu Sports) who blitzed the field to win the under-23 honours in 37:11, which was the fastest time of all females over the 25.4km course.

Another to impress was junior international Ally Wollaston (Te Awamutu Sports) who defended her under-17 title from Alexandra last year, winning over a 16.4km course in 25:17 ahead of Lee Boon and Helena Rikiti.

Christchurch’s Fiona Humpheson (Canterbury Time Trial) repeated her victory from 2016, winning the Masters 50-54 years honours over 16.4km, times at 38:51, which was a minute clear of the Counties Manukau pairing of Penny Pawson and Mireille Sitters.

Humpheson’s teammate Mary Jones also repeated her 2016 win in the 60-64 years category, winning in 26:02 ahead of Northland’s Jane Sweeney.

Hawkes Bay’s Mary Cullen was looking to defend her title in the women’s 65-69 years time trial, but had to settle for second place behind Sharon Prutton (Canterbury Time Trial) who is fresh off winning three gold medals at the World Masters Games.

In the men’s action, talented teenager Finn Fisher-Black (Tasman Wheelers) defended his under-17 time trial title, clocking 21:32 for the 16.4km distance to finish more than a minute clear of Laurence Pithie (Canterbury Time Trial) and Archie Martin (Te Awamutu Sports).

Meanwhile Garry Humpherson (Whakatane), at 80 years the oldest competitor, claimed the 75 years plus time trial in a slick 27:14 from Northland’s Colin Horsfall and visiting English rider John King.
Tomorrow the action moves to the road races with under-15 and under-17 girls, Para-Cycling and Masters races with the under 17 boys, under-19, under-23 and seniors racing on Sunday.

Results, Time Trial:

Male:

Under-15, 16.4km: Jack Carswell (Te Awamutu Sports) 23.54, 1; Mitchel Fitzsimons (Cycling Timaru) 25:11, 2; Kaio Lart (Tasman Wheelers) 25:14, 3.
Under-17, 16.4km: Finn Fisher-Black (Tasman Wheelers) 21:32, 1; Laurence Pithie (Canterbury TT) 22:40, 2; Archie Martin (Te Awamutu Sports) 22:48, 3.
Under-19, 25.4km: Oscar Elworthy (North Harbour) 33:34, 1; Ben Hamilton (Counties Manukau) 33:38, 2; Harry Waine (Counties Manukau) 33:53, 3.
Under-23, 25.4km: William Milburn (Cycling Otago) 33:15, 1; Logan Griffin (Auckland Central) 33:17, 2; Jake Marryatt (Pegasus) 3:53, 3.
Senior men, 25.4km: Hamish Bond (Te Awamutu Sports) 31:50, 1; Michael Torckler (Stratford) 32:20, 2; Glenn Haden (Wanganui) 33:18, 3.
Masters 1 (35-39, 25.4km): Rob Scarlett (Counties Manukau) 32L44, 1; Yancey Arrington (Canterbury TT) 34:55, 2; Logan Holzer (Te Awamutu Sports) 35:30, 3.
Masters 2 (40-44, 25.4km): Mike Henton (Counties Manukau) 35:04, 1; John Randal (Wellington Masters) 35:27, 2; Sam Gardner (Bike Manawatu) 35:59, 3.
Masters 3 (45-49, 25.4km): Aaron Strong (Auckland Central) 33:58, 1; Stuart Lowe (Pegasus) 34:18, 2; Heath Lett (Tauranga) 34:56, 3.
Masters 4 (50-54, 25.4km)): Neil Sutherland (Canterbury TT) 34:40, 1; Rod Carpinter (Dynamo Cycling) 35:44, 2; David Roche (Pegasus) 36:23, 3.
Masters 5 (55-59, 25.4km): Murray Garland (Counties Manukau) 36:39, 1; Jeremy Heathfield (Canterbury TT) 37:12, 2; Steven Pawley (Hamilton City) 37:35, 3.
Masters 6 (60-64, 16.4km): Garth Stewart (Wellington Masters) 23:42, 1; Richard Justice (Auckland Central) 23:51, 2; Martin Fletcher (Cycling Marlborough) 23:59, 3.
Masters 7 (65-69, 16.4km): Gary Ferguson (Pegasis) 24:04, 1; Garry Overend (Tasman Wheelers) 24:08, 2; Tinsley Janes (Counties Manukau) 24:18, 3.
Masters 8 (70-74, 16.4km): Allan Luff (Wanganui) 26:18, 1; Rex Dowding (ACM) 27:34, 2; Mike Lucinsky (Ramblers) 27:38, 3.
Masters 9 (75 plus, 16.4km): Garry Humperson (Whakatane) 27:14, 1; Colin Horsfall (Marsden Wheelers) 29:55, 2; John King (England) 32:59, 3.

Female

Under-15, 16.4km: Prudence Fowler (Canterbury Track) 27:20, 1; Amye Kellow (Canterbury Track) 28:28, 2; Lucky Buckeridge (North Harbour) 28:29, 3.
Under-17, 16.4km: Ally Wollaston (Te Awamutu Sports) 25:17, 1; Lee Boon (Cycling New Plymouth) 25:45, 2; Helena Rikiti (Cycling Southland) 25:59, 3.
Under-19, 16.4km: Phoebe Young (Central Otago) 24:30, 1; Libby Arbuckle (Bike Manawatu) 24:38, 2; Emily Shearman (Bike Manawatu) 24:41, 3.
Under-23, 25.4km: Bryony Botha (Te Awamutu Sports) 37:11, 1; Laura Newman-Watt (North Harbour) 39:41, 2; Olivia Ray (Auckland Central) 40:22, 3.
Senior, 23.4km: Hannah van Kampen (Ramblers) 37:57, 1; Sharlotte Lucas (Papanui) 38:13, 2; Kerri-anne Page (Ramblers) 38:41, 3.
Masters 1 (25.4km): Bronwyn MacGregor (Counties Manukau) 38:50, 1; Sara Cornelius (Counties Manukau) 44:24, 2; Sarah Saunderson-Warner (Cycling Otago) 44:56, 3.
Masters 2 (25.4km): Sarah Morrison (Morrinsville Wheelers) 36:43, 1; Jeanie Blakemore (Canterbury TT) 37:41, 2; Sarah Turner (Wellington Masters) 39:32, 3.
Masters 3 (25.4km): Fiona Humpheson (Canterbury TT) 38:51, 1; Penny Pawson (Counties Manukau) 39:49, 2; Mireille Sitters (Counties Manukau) 40:20, 3.
Masters 4 (16.4km): Fiona Southorn (Marsden Wheelers) 25:13, 1; Vicki Martin (Canterbury TT) 25:59, 2; Sara Harnett (Canterbury TT) 26:19, 3.
Masters 5, 16.4km: Sue Lazar (Canterbury TT), 1; Mandy Gumbley (North Harbour) 26:51, 2; Judith Quax (Rotorua) 28:09, 3.
Masters 6, 16.4km: Mary Jones (Canterbury TT) 26:02, 1; Jane Sweeney (Marsden Wheelers) 27:10, 2.
Masters 7, 16.4km): Sharon Prutton (Canterbury TT) 26:34, 1; Mary Cullen (Ramblers) 27:01, 2; Glenda West (Ramblers) 28:16, 3.
Masters 8, 16.4km: Carole Atkins (Ramblers) 30:12, 1.
Paracycling:
Hand cycle: Tim Williams 1, Shane Blows 2, Jonathan Nelson 3.
Tandem: Maraenui Taituha 1.
Trikes: Eitje Malzbender 1, John Lee 2, Losi Harford 3.
Details: www.roadnationals.co.nz