Durbridge Sets Record in European Time Trial Win

Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Luke Durbridge has ridden at record pace to win the Chrono Champenois (time trial) in France.

Durbridge clocked a time of 40:16 at an average speed of almost 50 kilometres-an-hour (49.76 km/h) for the 33.4 kilometre distance. He was 51 secods faster than 2010 winner Rasmus Christian (DEN) who placed second.

“Luke set a course record and he did it on wet roads,” said Cycling Australia’s U23 Coach, James Victor. “The previous best time was set in 2008 and Luke went 1:10 under that.”

Compatriot and reigning Oceania time trial champion, Damien Howson, was 2:19 slower than Durbridge in ninth place.

Durbridge, who rides with Jayco-AIS, is the reigning Australian U23 time trial champion and claimed the time trial silver medal at last year’s world championships. Last week he finished third in the Memorial Davide Fardelli time trial in Italy despite riding most of the distance on a spare bike due to mechanical problems.

Both Durbridge and Howson are in the long team vying for selection in the U23 team for the 2011 UCI Road World Championshipsin Denmark that will be named later this week.

In the women’s event national and Oceania champion, Shara Gillow, was the best placed of the Australians in seventh.

-Cycling Australia