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Oly rowing champ wins NZ cycling title

Olympic gold medal-winning rower Hamish Bond has won New Zealand's national road cycling time trial title in Napier.

Hamish Bond

Duel Olympic rowing champion Hamish Bond has won New Zealand's national road cycling time trial. (AAP)

Double Olympic gold medal-winning rower Hamish Bond has won New Zealand's national road cycling time trial title.

Bond clocked 50 minutes 50.90 seconds over the 40 kilometres to finish a minute and a half clear of Michael Vink's second-placed 52:19.92, with Jason Christie third in 52:28.43.

The times were the fastest in the three years that the championships have been run on a challenging course in Napier made doubly hard by fierce winds.

After winning back-to-back Olympics golds in 2012 and 2016 with Eric Murray in the pair, Bond shifted his focus to cycling.

The 31-year-old, who won 22 national titles in rowing, finished third in his debut last year and said it had been a battle in difficult conditions.

"It was a real challenge down on the aero bars in that big crosswind," he said.

"I'm a lot faster than 12 months ago. I have been basically training exclusively for time trialling for the last 12 months including three months in the UK.

"I'm still quite a margin behind the top people in the world. I have to get faster, get more power, be more aerodynamic and keep thinking about my equipment."


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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