Delhi2010 – Turbo Takes Bronze in Time-Trial
19 year-old WAIS-AIS athlete Luke Durbridge added a bronze medal in the men’s road time trial to the tally to give the Australian cyclists a total of 21 medals made up of 14 gold, three silver and four bronze medals from Delhi.
‘Turbo Durbo’ was a last minute addition to the Cyclones team for Delhi and arrived in great form having claimed the silver medal in the U23 time trial at the recent World Championships. He covered the 40km distance in a time of 48:19.22 which was a minute off the pace of gold medalist David Millar of Scotland with England’s Alex Dowsett second at 54 seconds.
Durbridge and Dowsett competed over the shorter 31km distance in Geelong but both stepped up to impress in the elite distance in Delhi although the West Australian admitted he was worried when Millar passed him in the final 100 metres.
“He came past me and I thought ‘Oh no’ and then they told me I took a medal,” said Durbridge. “So I got caught but I still got bronze.
”It’s unbelievable. I’m stoked with this bronze,” he said. ”But that last five kilometres was the longest five kilometres of my life.”
South Australian Rohan Dennis also performed well to finish sixth in the event which began in 44 degree temperatures that continued to climb throughout the afternoon.
Durbridge, who won the junior World Championship time trial last year, says the conditions were pretty tough.
“I froze my water bottle and halfway through I took a swig and it was hot,” he said. “It was phenomenal out there. My head started to get its own pulse but I just toughed it through.”
Although the women’s event started a couple of hours earlier the heat was still intense.
South Australian Alexis Rhodes finished the 29km flat course in fourth place just 13 seconds outside the medals and 23 seconds slower than winner Tara Whitten (CAN).
New Zealand’s Linda Villumsen was second and England’s Julia Shaw third fastest.
Rhodes team mate Vicki Whitelaw placed seventh despite suffering heat stroke.
“Conditions like these are just brutal, they really are,” said Canberra’s Whitelaw who after finishing was helped to the medical tent for treatment. “I felt dizzy, started to feel nauseous, I started to sway, and when I crossed the line I wasn’t too good on my feet.
“It’s not like the road race where you have little reprieves,” she said. “You have to keep your heart rate high for a long period of time, so you risk heat stress.
“I’ve never been that extreme before. I usually feel a drop in power because my circulation has to send blood to cool down my skin and not to my leg muscles.”
Australia’s other starter in the time trial, 2010 Australian road race champion, Ruth Corset, posted the 12th fastest time.
– Cycling Australia