With a brutal westerly wind providing a difficult headwind for the first 15km of the Kotta Loop and with a challenging crosswind to follow on Kotta Rd, the first 20km was designated as a neutral zone.
Racing would start from the corner of Kotta Rd and Echuca-Mitiamo Rd over a modified course of 21km.
The difficulty of the headwind reduced the starting field of seven to three, with Cam Smith, Matt Dobeli and Claire Goodman choosing to continue through the Kotta Rd crosswind.
As they turned left into Echuca-Mitiamo Rd, Cam moved to the front and with the 35km/hr plus tailwind the pace lifted to over 50km/hr. Claire and Matt were hopeful to hang on to the time trial king in what had now become a 20km downwind TT.
Just before the Mitiamo Rd S bends the pace was too hot for Claire and she was gapped by Cam and Matt, before settling back into a rhythm just off the back, driven along by the tailwind.
Approaching the Stratton Rd turn, Cam nudged the speed up to over 60km/hr to shake Matt off his back wheel, but the elastic didn’t snap.
As they turned into the strong crosswind of Stratton Rd, Cam went for the jugular as he took Matt into the gutter and powered clear for the win, with Matt 20 seconds further back in second, Claire finished strongly, a minute further back in third.
Thanks to Mel, Frank, H and Troy for officiating.
We’ll see you all next weekend for our Mid-Winter time trial.
18°C