Like a fine Vine: Aussie pedals to world cycling silver
Ian Chadband |
Jay Vine has launched Australia’s challenge at the world road cycling championships in spectacular fashion, winning a silver medal in the men’s elite time trial in Kigali behind the Belgian great Remco Evenepoel.
After Brodie Chapman just missed out on a medal in the equivalent women’s event at the start of Africa’s historic first road championships in Rwanda on Sunday, Vine continued where he’d left off at the Vuelta a Espana as he delivered a stunning ride against the clock.
Vine, who’d won two stages and the King of the Mountains jersey in the Spanish Grand Tour, covered the demanding, undulating 40.6km course in 51 minutes 00.83 seconds, a time only bettered by Olympic champ Evenepoel’s stupendous 49:46.03.
Vine’s effort, though a minute-and-a-quarter slower, was still so fast he beat Belgian bronze medallist Ilan de Wilder by over a minute and 22 seconds and, even more remarkably, outpaced all-time great Tadej Pogacar by almost 1:23.
“It’s an incredible feeling representing your country at the world level,” beamed Vine. “To bring back a silver medal – it’s not the one I wanted to bring back – but it’s a good consolation prize.”
As he became the only man to break the 50-minute barrier, Evenepoel even gained over two-and-a-half minutes on Pogacar to catch him on a cobbled ascent as he raced to a third straight world title in the discipline.
“Of course, I am disappointed that Remco caught me, but it is incredible how good he is in this discipline. Chapeau for the ride by him,” said Pogacar, who suffered a rare defeat on his 27th birthday.
For Vine, it represented the culmination of an incredible comeback. The 29-year-old Queenslander’s life had been in the balance after a terrible crash at last year’s Tour of the Basque Country, which then left him then having to recuperate from a career-threatening back injury.
But he recovered to finish fifth in last year’s time trial despite suffering a fall in the race.
The former Australian national time trial champion had also demonstrated his readiness to shoot for a medal in Rwanda by his brilliant effort at the Vuelta 10 days ago when he had missed out on winning the individual TT stage by just one second.
“I knew that I had this sort of performance in myself from last year at a world title level, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bring it home then,” said Vine.
“But I’m really happy to be able to bring it home this year. A silver against the now three-time world champ? I’m pretty happy with that!”
Vine’s Australian teammate Luke Plapp also had a superb ride, finishing seventh 3:03 behind Evenepoel.
Earlier, the equivalent women’s race had been won by Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser, who finished 51.89 seconds quicker than the rest, clocking 43:09.34 around a 31.2km course.
The Dutch duo of Anna van der Breggen, runner-up for a fifth time, and Demi Vollering grabbed the minor medals, but Queensland’s Chapman, the 34-year-old veteran from Mount Glorious, finished an excellent fourth, 1:20.87 behind Reusser.
Watched by big crowds, the races marked a spectacular start to the championships after all the security concerns and political debates surrounding the event going to Rwanda, with rights groups having accused the country and its long-time President Paul Kagame of sportswashing.
AAP
