Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Scody Australian Open Road Cycling Championships

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Thursday, 07 January 2010 12:38

Written by Marcella Crisanti

West Australian Cameron Meyer claimed gold for a new generation at the Scody Australian Open Road Cycling Championships in Buninyong, Victoria with his victory in elite men's time trial. Meyer, 22, is the reigning points race World Champion, was a bronze medallist in the U23 time trial at the 2008 World Championships and in his elite road debut last year finished in second place a mere six seconds behind three time World Champion, Michael Rogers. But today the rising star claimed the coveted green and gold jersey of elite Australian Champion clocking 50min52.74sec for the 39km course to finish 29 seconds faster than silver medallist, John Anderson, 22, (51min21.04sec) another of Australia's new generation of cycling talent. A veteran at 32 years of age, 2004 Olympic Games track gold medallist Luke Roberts of South Australia was third in a time of 51min25.68sec. "This is a real honour and something I have been targeting for months," said Meyer who rides with the Garmin Transitions ProTour team. "Losing last year by just six seconds in my first year as an elite was tough, so this year I wanted to step up. "I have won on the track at this level before, but to get one on the road at this level gives me great confidence ahead of my upcoming season," said Meyer who in his first year at ProTour level in 2009 raced in the Giro d'Italia and looks forward to doing so again this year. "It's a special moment to get to wear the green and gold jersey over in Europe with my pro team and I might have the Giro this year so to wear it in such a prestigious event will be fantastic." Meyer admits there was some pressure on him to perform well. "I was only six seconds up at the half way point but I knew that the back half would be my real strong point with that long drag up that last hill and I really brought it home strong." Queensland's Anderson, who rides in Europe with the Sprocket Pro team, admits most pundits would not have tipped him to be one the podium. "I suppose to a lot of people it comes as a big surprise, but to me, it's been a long timing coming and over the past three years I've had three top ten finishes in the under 23's," Anderson explained. "It is a reward for many, many years of hard work. I have been knocking on the door for a while now. "I went out a little bit too hard at the top of the hill and faded a bit towards the finish, but obviously it went a lot better than I thought." Roberts performance comes after a disastrous 2009 in which a crash in February saw him sidelined with a broken hip for most of the season. "I would have liked to have been 30 odd seconds faster and taken the win but I can't complain because Cameron is a good rider and all credit to him for his win," said Roberts. "I'm happy to see my form is back to where I hoped to be." Roberts was on crutches for two months and unable to race for four months last year but stepped back to a competitive level in August and in November picked up a win in the Grenoble Six Day track event in France. "Since then I've pretty much switched back to focus on road nationals and the ProTour calendar," said Roberts who agrees the young talent coming through spurs him on. "At the 2008 Olympic Games I as training with Jack Bobridge and Cameron and I saw they had huge talent which is great for them and for Australian cycling." In the women's time trial former Olympic rower Amber Halliday has claimed her first major cycling title. "I wasn't sure when I crossed the line, I still didn't believe it when I got back to the tent and I had to keep on asking my team," said Halliday. Halliday retired from rowing in 2008 after competing at two Olympic Games and winning three World Championships in the light weight double skull, Halliday finished just two seconds outside of a podium finish in her championships debut in 2009. Today, the thirty-year-old shaved over thirty seconds off that time to complete the 28km course in a time of 40mins57.14secs to take the green and gold jersey. "Towards the end of my rowing career, I always looked forward to my cross training ride on a Sunday morning, so I thought I would have a crack at cycling and see where it would get me." "I feel like I have a lot more idea about what is going on this year and everything came together today," said the Adelaide sports journalist. "I have always been one to not put big targets on myself and one of the reasons I took up cycling was to make the transition into normal life easier. "I always concentrate on the process and just want to get to the height of my own ability, so after being on top of the world in rowing, (the goal) to get to the national level for cycling was not so unrealistic for me." 2008 champion Bridie O'Donnell of Victoria took the silver in a time of 41mins01.29secs, four seconds behind Halliday. South Australia's Carly Light took bronze in 41mins59secs. "Amber had a great ride today, both of us had a fast day and we had great conditions," said O'Donnell. Finishing fifth overall in a time of the 42mins28.54secs, West Australia's Josephine Tomic claimed the honours in the U23 womens event ahead of South Australia's Tiffany Cromwell (43mins15.07secs) and Canberra's Alexandra Carle (43mins28.42secs). One of the pre-race favourites, South Australia's Alexis Rhodes, punctured both tyres within minutes of starting and did not finish. In the under 23 mens time trial, it was a trifecta for Team Jayco Skins, with South Australia's Rohan Dennis claiming the win of West Australia's Luke Durbridge and Canberra's Michael Mathews. "I am pretty happy to have this jersey on my shoulders and be able to ride overseas with it and show off the colours," said nineteen-year-old Dennis. After claiming three Australian time trial titles as a junior, Dennis powered through the tough 28km Buninyong course averaging 46.38km/hour to finish in a time of 36mins13.27seconds. Dennis and Durbridge, both members of the 2008 World Champion U19 pursuit team, were locked in a close battle over the first half of the course, before a kick on the back half by Dennis saw him take victory. "I was a little bit stressed about this event, I was expecting myself to do fairly well and most of my training has been based around this." said Dennis. "I think the three of us were pretty much even over the top of the hill, and I pulled most of my time out over the next ten kilometres, and from there it was pretty much even between myself and Luke." Durbridge, a year younger than Dennis and the the reigning road time trial Junior World Champion, finished ten seconds further back in a time of 36mins23.16seconds. "Being on the same team together, I know how he goes, he knows how I go so there is always a bit of rivalry between us, I am feel pretty good, I would have loved to have gotten first but I am happy with second being only my first year under 23," said Durbridge. Michael Mathews finished third for the second straight year in a time of 37minutes35.29seconds.