The Olympic rowing gold medalist Hamish Bond continues to thrive in his new sport of cycling winning the elite men's time trial at the Oceania Road Cycling champs in Tasmania.
New Zealand cyclist Hamish Bond has won gold at Oceania championship Photo: Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
Bond, who moved to cycling last year, produced a confidence-boosting performance to claim the 41km test against time three weeks out from his cycling introduction to the Commonwealth Games.
The Waikato rider clocked 51:03.44 for the 41km test in Evansdale near Launceston today to beat two-time defending champion Sean Lake from Australia by 32 seconds.
It proved an excellent day for the New Zealand riders with Christchurch's Jake Marryatt winning the men's under-23 honours, while Mikayla Harvey (Central Otago) won the women's under-23 crown.
Other Kiwis on the podium included Nelson's Finn Fisher-Black, second in the men's under-19 time trial; Commonwealth Games-bound Sharlotte Lucas (Canterbury) was third in the elite women and Manawatu's Libby Arbuckle was runner-up to Harvey in the under-23 women.
There was plenty of attention on Bond, who took up rowing 18 months ago, in the discipline he will contest on the Gold Coast.
"This was a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games. It is always good to get the win against some quality competition on what looked a benign course but it proved quite challenging," Bond said.
"With those rollers over the back of the course, I used up a bit too much energy early and I needed a bit more power in the legs against the headwind coming home."
"It is good learning for me. I am still building experience in every race. A race like this is really big for me - having to get to the start line at a certain time, competing against some class riders and I will take some learnings from this and hopefully put out a solid performance on the Gold Coast."
The action now moves to Railton near Devonport for the road races on the famed climbs in Tasmania, with the under-19 men, elite and under-23 women on Saturday, while the under-19 women, elite and under-23 men compete on Sunday.
- RNZ
