Cannondale's Bevin claims New Zealand time trial title

Taupo’s Patrick Bevin wasted little time – literally – in winning his first race of the season and capturing the 2016 New Zealand individual time trial championship in the process.

The recently signed Cannondale neo-pro recorded a winning time of 52 minutes 21 seconds to take out Southland’s Tom Scully (Drapac Pro Cycling, 53:34) and Wellington’s Joe Cooper (Avanti-IsoWhey Sports, 54:02) – a former teammate – over the 40.5-kilometre course at the Big Save Elite Road Cycling National Championships in Napier on Friday, January 8. In fact, it was Cooper, the reigning national road race champion and 2013 time trial winner, who finished in the same spot Bevin claimed 12 months earlier.

“It was a really tough day with strong winds,” Bevin told Eurosport after the race. “It was a pretty challenging course as well with a couple of climbs and descents. The course never really suited the pure time triallists, it kind of shifted toward the power guys and as the wind came up that became more of the case.”

The 24-year-old North Island native was thrilled with his first win in Cannondale kit.

“It was an early season goal and it fits in well to have that big build for 2016,” he said. “To put it all together and to come away with the national title is a great way to kick things off.”

Although Bevin made the 1-minute 13-second victory look easy, he assured Eurosport it was anything but.

“Time trial is not as simple as it looks as I’ve found out,” he admitted. “It’s been kind of a project for me the past couple of seasons and still very much a work in progress, but it’s a great stepping stone and hopefully I will be able to step out in a few time trials in the national colours this season and do the jersey proud.”

After spending four years with US-based Bissell Pro Cycling before turning to the track to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Bevin eventually returned to the road and achieved immediate success with the New Zealand-registered UCI Continental team Avanti last year.

The two-time An Post Ras stage winner (2014), claimed stage wins at last year’s Herald Sun Tour (UCI 2.1), Tour de Taiwan (2.1) and Tour de Korea (2.1), before winning the Australian National Road Series in October.

Including Bevin, the franchise, which dates back to Praties in 2000, has produced nine professional riders, along with Porte, Nathan Haas (Team Dimension Data), Jack Haig (Orica-GreenEdge), Steele von Hoff (formerly Garmin-Sharp, now One Pro Cycling), Nathan Earle (formerly Team Sky, now Drapac Pro Cycling), Will Clarke (formerly Argos-Shimano, now Drapac Pro Cycling) and Brenton Jones (Drapac Pro Cycling), as well as recently retired Campbell Flakemore (BMC Racing).

“It’s just awesome to see Paddy win the time trial,” said Avanti directeur sportif and co-founder, Andrew Christie-Johnston. “I am always just as proud seeing one of my former boys win.

“Our team prides itself on helping riders make it to the highest level in our sport. They are like family…they may ride for another team now, but will always be part of our family.

“It’s going to be exciting to see him wear it now on the world stage.”

On Thursday, former Praties rider Richie Porte (BMC Racing) and newly-signed Avanti rider Sean Lake finished second and third respectively behind newly crowned Australian time trial champion Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing).

“It’s always really good to see the Avanti guys go well,” said Bevin. “It’s nice to still have contact with ‘ACJ’ and Avanti, and it’s cool that they’re there to help. It means a lot to me and he was one of the first guys I heard from today, and that’s really great.”

In elite women’s action, Olympic hopeful Rushlee Buchanan (UnitedHealthcare) kept her hopes of road racing triple alive after her first time trial win on top of the New Zealand criterium title she won last month.

Hayden McCormick made it a clean sweep by Waikato riders by claiming the under-23 honours to give his new ONE Pro Cycling team its first international victory.

On Saturday, Buchanan completed the triple by winning the 117km women’s road race, which featured an initial 60km loop in the country near Taradale before returning for 4.5 laps of a 13km inner city course including the climb over Bluff Hill.

The 180km, 7.5-lap elite and under-23 men’s race is on Sunday.

“It’s a relief to get a win out of the way,” explained Bevin, who will make is WorldTour debut at the Tour Down Under next week. “Obviously, in the national road race there’s a lot gong on with teams and tactics, plus it’s a brand new course this year, so there are no guarantees.

“That said, I’m turning up to race and will do everything I can to come away with the double. I’m prepared for a fight on Sunday because it’s the national champs and you want to make those jerseys proud.”