Men’s TT ends in upset

SPECIALIST climber Jay Vine has scored an upset win in the elite men’s time trial at the national road cycling championships, clinching gold in his first year of participation.

A winner of two stages at last year’s Vuelta a España, Vine only turned professional in 2021 after winning e-cycling platform Zwift Academy, and prior to the current nationals had not raced competitively in Australia since before the pandemic.

“I came in really undercooked for the road race,’ Vine said.

“The goal was to play it as smart as I could and you know, really race it as if I was one of the big stars of the day, probably knowing full well that probably coming into the last four laps I wasn’t going to have it.

“I mean the time trial is sort of my pet event from back in the day, but I just haven’t been able to go fast in a good position since turning professional so being able to get on a good bike with the team, and in the right position.

“Like I felt good all day today, nervous like nobody’s business, tried giving my wife a few heart attacks last night changing things and this morning as well, but she kept me cool.”

While Vine failed to finish the road race on Sunday but now heads to South Australia with a spring in his step.

Four-time national time-trial winner Luke Durbridge and newly minted road race champion Lucas Plapp were the favourites for Tuesday’s 37.5-kilometre-long individual dash in Ballarat.

But Townsville-born Vine, racing for UAE Team Emirates, set a formidable target of 46 minutes 38.84 seconds and was not chased down by either man, nor any of the other 16 starters.

Durbridge finished second, just 2.72 seconds behind Vine with a time of 46:41.56.

Plapp, who missed the chance to defend his title last year due to a case of COVID-19, came in fourth – 26.43 seconds adrift of Vine – after reporting mechanical issues on lap two.

Kelland O’Brien, who won the elite men’s criterium on Friday, finished third in 47:04.42.

Reigning champion Rohan Dennis, one of Australia’s best time-trial riders, opted to sit out this year’s event but will race at the Tour Down Under later this week.

– BY JASPER BRUCE/ AAP