Time-Trial World Titles to Durbridge and Allen
WAIS cyclists Luke Durbridge (men’s U23) and Jessica Allen (women’s Junior) have given Australia a golden start at the 2011 Road World Championships in Denmark after both athletes won their respective age group time-trials on day one of competition.
Perth teenager Jessica Allen opened the team’s account with victory in the junior women’s time trial before fellow WA rider Luke Durbridge posted a sensational win in the under 23 men’s event and his team mate Michael Hepburn finished third.
20 year old Durbridge went into the 35.2km race against the clock as an un-backable favourite based on impressive recent form and he didn’t disappoint. He lived up to his ‘Turbo Durbo’ moniker and was fastest at every time check to complete distance in a time of 42:47.13. He was 35 seconds faster than local hero Rasmus Quaade of Denmark with Hepburn, who crashed a few kilometres from the line, recovering to finish 46 seconds off his compatriot’s time in third place.
It was a welcome result for Durbridge who last year in Geelong missed out on the gold medal by a mere 1.9 seconds and vowed that in 2011 he would make this world title his.
“My main goal all year has been to come here and win,” said Durbridge. “I concentrated purely on this time trial to make sure I came here with the best form and it’s a fantastic feeling.
“Watching Jess (Allen) win was inspiring and made me even more determined to go and get my own rainbow jersey,” he said. “When I knew I was up on the time checks I just continued to bring it home (but) the last lap I was taking it a little bit safe on the corners just to make sure I got home.”
His parents and girlfriend were roadside to cheer him on as were Hepburn’s parents and an aunt who were stunned when the Queenslander crashed in the final five kilometres.
“A little bit of wind caught my front wheel and it skipped a bit,” said Hepburn who sustained numerous cuts and grazes. “You don’t plan for these things to happen but sometimes they do and it definitely shakes you up a bit.
It took him around 20 seconds to get back up and racing on a spare bike but it took more time to regain his rhythm and race speed.
“In these races you can’t afford to have anything go wrong but hats off to these guys (Quaade and Durbridge) because they’re better than me today,” said Hepburn. “I was happy with my ride so what more can you ask for.”
Both Hepburn and Durbridge are members of the Australian quartet that won the gold medal in the team pursuit at the track world titles in March.
In the 13.9km junior women’s event Allen was the last rider to leave the start gate and she wasted no time getting up to speed. She clocked the fastest time at the half way mark and held on to finish in 19:18.63 with a narrow winning margin of only 1.84 seconds. But it was enough to beat Elinor Barker of Great Britain with Germany’s Mieke Kroger a second slower in third place.
“I can’t believe it,” said Allen. “Last year finishing the world championships eleventh I really wanted to come into this year doing bigger and better things and take the gold medal.
“I really liked the course, dead flat but nice and technical which worked to my strengths,” said Allen who arrived in Denmark fresh from racing in the Commonwealth Youth Games on the Isle of Man where she claimed the silver medal in the time trial.
Allen says junior women’s road coach Donna Rae-Szalinski provided crucial advice while she was racing.
“We only got to ride the course once yesterday so Donna was telling me which corners were coming up and which ones were flowing and which ones were tight and that really helped me.”
Also posting an impressive performance in his first year in the under 23 ranks was South Australian Damien Howson who clocked the ninth best time of 44:53.09 which was only 13 seconds off being ranked fifth in the field of 65 starters.
Australian under 19 women’s champion, Alison Rice, placed 18th, 1:13 off the winning time of her team mate Allen.
The 2011 UCI Road World Championshipsare being staged in Copenhagen, Denmark from 19 to 25 September 2011.
In day two action Shara Gillow and Taryn Heather are entered in the elite women’s time trial and in the junior men’s event Calvin Watson and David Edwards will race for Australia.
-Cycling Australia