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Victorian Open Road Cycling Championships - NE
Victoria, Australia, September 30-October 2, 2005
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Stage 2 - October 1: Men's and Women's Time Trial Championships
Milostic and Watt win against the clock
by Rod Morris in Jamieson
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Pressure from within was the biggest single driving factor behind Peter Milostic's third successive Victorian Open Men's Individual Time Trial Championship today. The affable 31-year-old Penrith cyclist weathered the burden of carrying the No. 1 ranking in the event, to eclipse Victorian talent Sean Finning and former World U19 Time Trial champion, Josh Collingwood (South Australia) in an exciting event at Jamieson in the State's North.
Milostic walked away from the title with an average speed of 47.56 km per hour and a time of 46.33 minutes for the 36 km travelled. He was one of only two riders in the field to break the 47 minute barrier, with Finning clocked at 46.56. Judges had to extend the stopwatches to 2/100ths of a second to determine Collingwood had indeed won bronze just ahead of Finning's Jayco VIS teammate Bradley Norton.
Earlier in the day, Kathy Watt's push for a berth in next year's Australian cycling team for the Commonwealth Games gained an extra bonus point when she won the Victorian Women's Individual Time Trial Championship. Watt (41) won the title for the third consecutive year and she did it in a manner that could ultimately force national selectors not to overlook her.
Milostic also claimed his third straight Victorian time trial championship, but insisted he had placed plenty of pressure on himself. "Being ranked No. 1, there is the expectation that if you don't win, you in fact have failed," he explained. "This was a pretty good field and any one of eight or ten riders could have won and going off last doesn't make it any easier."
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Little known Brunswick rider Dylan Newell set the scene early when he was timed at 47.56. Newell had been ranked 23rd in the field and surprised many with his performance. Newell held the lead until Norton came flashing through and pipped him by 34 seconds. Finning was the next rider to finish and his time edged Norton back to second and Newell to third with just three riders left on the hilly but lightning fast course.
Next home was the recent winner of the Tour of the Murray River, Simon Clarke of the powerful Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club. Clarke edged in front of Newell by 27 seconds but was 7-seconds behind Norton and 33 adrift of Finning. Collingwood flew home 7-seconds faster than Clarke leaving all interest on Milostic.
Intermediate reports from race officials suggested Clarke was on track to take the title again, but he still had to negotiate the final sprint to the line. Milostic was flying up the home straight and when the clock stopped, he had 23-seconds to spare over Finning.
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"That is a sensational course for a time trial, even if there are a few hills to surprise you," Milostic said. "Time trials are my specialty event and I knew this course from last year's Herald Sun Tour, so I am absolutely rapt to have won for a third time."
Milostic has - in his own words - had a disappointing calendar year, but partially because of injury instead of poor form, although the two are probably related. "I had a different seat position and that led to a knee problem, which forced me to pull out of the Tour of the Murray River," he explained. "I then finished third in the National Club Time Trial Championship in Mooloolaba four weeks ago which I classed as disappointing, because it was an event I really wanted to win. I then raced a little better in the Goulburn and Grafton-to-Inverell events, so I'm fairly happy now."
Milostic has also received a late call up to race in next week's Herald Sun Tour, starting at Williamstown on Sunday (October 9). Milostic will form part of the prestigious Davitamon Lotto team and while all riders have not yet been finalised, he is likely to join fellow Australians, Henk Vogels, Nick Gates and Ryan Sullivan.
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"I'm not sure about what my role in the team will be, but its an event I look forward to each year. From there I'll race in the Melbourne to Warrnambool and the third annual Tour of Queensland. But before all that, I have go back to Sydney do some extra work and get time off so I can race," he said.
Whilst Finning was pipped at the post by Milostic, he has been one of the stars of the Victorian Road Cycling Championships weekend so far, having won the Criterium title on Friday. The performance of Collingwood was also full of merit, given the fact he had left Adelaide by car at 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon and arrived in Mansfield at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning...a drive of almost 1000 km!
Women
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Kathy Watt rode the 27 km time trial from Mansfield to nearby Howqua in a lightning fast 39.32 minutes, which equated to an average speed of 40.97 km per hour. The diminutive Watt won the title ahead of Hawthorn youngster Claire Baxter and former Sydney - now Torquay based - rider Anna Sutton. She has just returned from France where she won a UCI 1.1 time trial, beating top French rider Jeannie Longo and early last month won the national club time trial championship in Queensland. She is currently ranked No. 1 in Australian time trialling and the form shown today must surely have Australian selectors debating the merits of returning her to the Commonwealth Games.
Watt won the road race gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and at the same games, won silver in the 3000 m individual pursuit. On top of her Olympic success, Watt has also won 4 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze at Commonwealth Games level and was third in the time trial at the 1995 World Track Championships in Colombia, when racing at high altitude.
"I'm not sure if I've done enough to convince the selectors to give me a start for the Commonwealth Games, but if I can win the time trial at the Australian Championships in Adelaide in January, I believe I will get an automatic start," Watt said.
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The Victorian ITT was a hotly contested affair and Watt didn't have everything her own way. Brunswick's Bridie O'Donnell posted a good time of 43.05 from the early starters before she was passed by Warragul's Monique Hanley with a 43.03.
Baxter was the surprise packet of the middle starters, posting an excellent 40.48 minutes and her time stood till eclipsed by the last starter, which was Watt. Randwick rider Laura Bortolozzi finished in a time of 41.38 to take fourth place, missing out on a minor medal by just seven seconds.
The titles will continue tomorrow (Sunday) with the men's and women's road race championships on a tough but flat circuit around the streets of Mansfield.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- '"This is going to be tough" Bridie O'Donnell could be thinking on the start line
- Louise Nicholson from Geelong at the starting gate for the 27km time trial
- Your machine awaits you
- Alicia Evans of Geelong eyes off the road ahead
- Christine Foster of St.Kilda leaves the ramp bound for Howqua
- A helping hand at the starting gate
- Briana James (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) mounts her machine for the 27km time trial
- '"Boy I'm glad you're doing this, Anna, and not me"
- Laura Bortolozzi from New South Wales is all smiles at the start of her time trial
- The experienced Kathy Watt (Blackburn CC) focuses on another time trial
- Kathy Watt on the road to another medal
- Laura Bortolozzi feels the pain in the race against the clock
- Anna Sutton looking for a podium finish in the time trial
- Briana James (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) looking to add another medal from the championships to her cabinet
- Clare Viahopoulos (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) in action during the time trial
- Time trialing in the hills near Mansfield
- Christine Foster (St.Kilda) out of the saddle on a climb near the finish at Howqua
- Just rolling around in the hills of Northern Victoria
- Kathy Watt powers to the finish and another gold medal
- Kym Peterson (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) takes it easy after completing the time trial
- The medalists (L-R): Claire Baxter (2nd) Kathy Watt (1st) and Anna Sutton (3rd)
- Kathy Watt happy to be another gold medalist
- Corey Roberts from South Australia at the starting gate for the 36.9km time trial
- Dylan Newell (Brunswick) awaits the starter's orders
- Peter Ladd (Bendigo) at the starting gate bound for Jamieson
- Alistair Jack (St.Kilda CC) prepares for his time trial
- Julian Dutton (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) has the hunger for the time trial!
- What the boys are pushing around
- Construction crew rest easy as Kyle Marwood (Bendigo CC) awaits the start
- Andrew Hanigan (Praties/Tasmania) drives himself at the start in Mansfield
- Michael Tolhurst (A.C.T) straps in for the ride
- Sean Finning (Castlemaine CC) powers out of the start in Mansfield
- Simon Clarke (Carnegie/Caulfield CC) one of Australia's great young talents
- Joshua Collingwood traveled from South Australia overnight to compete in the titles
- A pumped up Peter Milostic looking for his hat-trick of Victorian time trial titles
- Climbing hills in the time trial between Mansfield and Jamieson
- Simon Clarke has no time to admire the views as he rides against the clock near Mansfield
- Simon Clarke in action during the 36.9km time trial
- Joshua Collingwood heading towards a medal in Jamieson
- Peter Milostic the number one heading towards Jamieson
- Peter Milostic looking for three in a row in 2005
- Joshua Collingwood nearing the finish in Jamieson
- Hey Simon you forgot to un-wrap your helmet!!
- Sean Finning was powering towards Jamieson
- Bradley Norton (Shepparton CC) in action during the time trial
- Peter Milostic crosses the line in Jamieson
- You little beauty!
- The podium (L-R): Sean Finning (2nd) Peter Milostic (1st) and Joshua Collingwood (3rd)
- Milostic rates his win as one of his best ever in cycling
Results
Victorian Men's Individual Time Trial Championship - 36.9 km 1 Peter Milostic (NSW) 46.33.00 2 Sean Finning (Castlemaine) 0.23.75 3 Joshua Collingwood (SA) 0.49.51 4 Bradley Norton (Shepparton) 0.49.53 5 Simon Clarke (Carnegie) 0.56.87 6 Dylan Newell (Brunswick) 1.23.91 7 Jai Crawford (Tasmania) 1.40.34 8 Michael Tolhurst (ACT) 2.01.38 9 Peter Ladd (Bendigo) 3.07.06 10 Jacob Sutherland (Brunswick) 3.43.55 11 Kyle Marwood (Bendigo) 3.59.36 12 Stephen Rossendell (Tasmania) 4.08.64 13 Julian Dutton (Carnegie) 4.29.63 14 Andrew Hanigan (Tasmania) 4.42.23 15 Jason Pastor (Carnegie) 4.57.62 16 Scott McDowell (Hawthorn) 5.27.00 17 Alistair Tune (Camperdown) 6.35.53 18 Corey Roberts (SA) 7.01.87 19 David Steinhauser (Melton) 7.05.70 20 Alistair Jack (St Kilda) 7.25.59 21 Robert Regester (Blackburn) 7.48.81 22 Jeremy McLay (Chelsea) 9.01.01 23 Scott Jensen (Carnegie) 9.24.78 24 Trevor Key (Blackburn) 9.36.03 25 Matthew Jensen (Carnegie) 9.51.53 26 Martin Tobin (Wangaratta) 12.56.47 27 Wayne Gebert (Coburg) 19.36.42 DNS Matthew Lloyd DNS Mitchell Docker DNS Adam Murchie DNS Nick Culvenor DNS Jason Tepper DNS Brendan Washington Victorian Women's Individual Time Trial Championship - 27 km 1 Kathy Watt (Blackburn) 39.32 2 Claire Baxter (Hawthorn) 1.16 3 Anna Sutton (NSW) 1.59 4 Laura Bortolozzi (NSW) 2.06 5 Monique Hanley (Warragul) 3.31 6 Bridie O'Donnell (Brunswick) 3.33 7 Briana James (Carnegie) 3.39 8 Kirsty Bortolin (Blackburn) 5.03 9 Nicole Whitburn (Warragul) 5.09 10 Alicia Evans (Geelong) 5.17 11 Cristine Foster (St Kilda) 5.30 12 Samantha Lindsay (St Kilda) 5.40 13 Mairead Hayter (St Kilda) 6.36 14 Clare Vlahopoulos (Carnegie) 7.19 15 Louise Nicholson (Geelong) 7.58 16 Kym Petersen (Carnegie) 9.37 17 Andrea Bishop (Carnegie) 9.53 18 Christine Ervin (Coburg) 10.53 DNS Sarah White (NSW) DNS Vicki Eustace (ACT) DNS Brooke Condon (Blackburn) DNS Clare McKechnie (Bendigo)
