DAY 1 RECAP | Masters Versus the clock.

Image via Kevin Anderson

The 2019 Cycling Australia Masters Road National Championships got underway in South Australia on Thursday morning. With clear skies and ideal racing conditions the Championships began with the Individual Time Trials where 136 riders took to the road and 20 new national champions were crowned. 

Blackburn Cycling Club’s Elizabeth Randall was the first to take on the 17.2km course in Onkaparinga just after 9:00am and claimed the Women’s Masters 10 national championship with a time of 32 minutes 20.35 sec. 

The fastest woman of the day was Coburg Cycling Club rider Anna Davis who finished the course with a brilliant time of 25 minutes 38.62 sec finishing with the gold in the Women’s Masters 5 category. 

It was an even spread for club representation as each of the ten women’s champions represented a different cycling club, Hawthorn CC had the most riders step up the podium with three. 

In the men’s racing, Mt Gambier CC rider Chris O’Donnell was the first to claim gold, winning the Men’s Masters 10 category coming in at a time of 28 minutes 01.20 sec. 

A couple of close finishes provided some excitement for the afternoon with Men’s Masters 3 champion and Canberra Cycling Club member Anthony Murfett (23:02.25) finishing 5.8 seconds ahead of Penrith’s Peter Wakefield (23:08.10). 

Carnegie-Caulfield’s Joe Spano (23:38.72) also finished 7 seconds ahead of Norwood’s Michael Davies (23:45.66) on his way to the Men’s Masters 6 title in a close finish.

The quickest time of the day went to Coburg Cycling Club’s Stephen Lane with a time of 22 minutes 06.52 secs to earn himself the top step on the Men’s 2 podium. In the last result of the day, St Kilda Cycling Club’s David Ross who won the Men’s 1 championship with a time of 22 minutes 40.13 secs.
​
The Masters Road Nationals continues tomorrow when the road races kick off, continuing into Saturday before the Victoria Park Criteriums close out the event on Sunday.

Images credit: Kevin Anderson

FULL RESULTS