Cycling: Rower beats cycle champ at own game

Bond finished seventh on the bike before taking the overall title with his performance on the erg. Photo / Te Awamutu Times

Hamish Bond is acknowledged as one of the world's best rowers and he can now point to the fact he has beaten a Tour de France winner in a bona fide cycle race.

That winner might be shamed cyclist Floyd Landis, who had his 2006 title stripped after he failed a drugs test, but the American is still a decent rider.

Bond finished ahead of Landis at the Mt Maungatautari 100km cycle classic, pipping him on the line.

"They had organised a battle of the champions between cyclists and rowers," explains Bond, who has good cycling pedigree, having competed in the 2009 Tour of Southland. "Everyone did the bike race then a 2km rowing machine time trial, half an hour after the finish."

Bond finished seventh on the bike before taking the overall title with his performance on the erg. The field also included four of the home-grown Pure Black Racing cycling team and Olympic team pursuit bronze medallist Westley Gough.

It was just one event in a busy schedule for Bond.

The 24-year-old was granted three weeks off after his triumph with Eric Murray in the pairs at the world championships but his competitive streak is hard to tame.

As well as his triumph over Landis, Bond nipped across to Melbourne for a 5km rowing race on the Yarra River. He partnered former North End clubmate Sam Morrison to win the open double. They rowed together in their first year out of secondary school.

Bond was also back on the water with Murray doing a "light" 30km training session just after dawn yesterday at Lake Karapiro. The early time was designed more to avoid the boat traffic later in the day than being any form of sadistic pleasure dished out by coach Dick Tonks.

But just in case they had too much energy left - after five days off to chow through some Christmas ham - they have been subjected to cross-training sessions in the afternoon.

Bond says some adjustments have been made to freshen things up.

"Eric and I have swapped seats. I have moved into the bow to work on some technical aspects which could improve our overall speed. It has taken some getting used to with my views of the Lake Karapiro vista now blocked by Eric's back and head."

It hasn't all been hard yakka.

"I got to go to my first real big concert, too," Bond says of his time in Melbourne. "Metallica aren't likely to tour that much longer so it was great to be able to head-bang with them and 18,000 other bogans at Rod Laver Arena."