Cycling: Ulmer and McCauley shine at Oceania Champs

With Sarah Ulmer and Gordon McCauley leading the way, New Zealand won every time trial gold medal on offer at the Oceania Cycling Champs in Wanganui yesterday.

Ulmer, who confessed that her 25km ride didn't feel very enjoyable, had to overcome a strong challenge from 41-year-old Australian veteran Kathy Watt, to lead the elite women's field home in 33m 7.43s.

Watt, who clocked 34m 4.09s, took off at a blistering pace and, by the 8km mark, was up on Ulmer's time by 40 seconds.

Getting the call she was 30 seconds down at the turn-around, Ulmer was forced to call on her renowned fighting spirit to overcome the deficit. Otago's Alison Shanks, making her debut in New Zealand colours, finished third in 35m 1.4s to add a bronze to the silver medal she won in the women's 3000m individual pursuit on the track on Thursday.

"It didn't feel very enjoyable but if time trialling was enjoyable, you probably aren't doing it right," Ulmer said. "It was hard. I got a call from [coach] Brendon [Cameron] saying I was half a minute down [on Watt] at the turn-around so I had work to do on the way home. It wasn't easy but it's good to get another full time trial distance in and another feel of how it is and how I'm feeling with it at each stage of the race."

Ulmer, the 2004 Olympic individual pursuit track champion, said she was certainly not established in the time trial and still had a "whole heap to learn".

She said she was adjusting to the transition from a three-minute track event to a 33-minute road event.

"I'm still learning to pace myself, how hard to go and how hard not to go at various stages. I'm still not 100 per cent as I am still building into the next couple of competitions as opposed to peaking."

She said her ride yesterday was more controlled than when she won the time trial at the national championships near Palmerston North six weeks ago but was far from perfect.

"There's still a lot to work on and it is hard to learn the craft when you don't ride it [competitively] so often," Ulmer said.

Former netballer Shanks, who has been a revelation on the national cycling scene in the last two months, said it was a nice feeling to put on the New Zealand skinsuit this morning. She won her track silver medal on Thursday as a last-minute entry with Otago.

Like Ulmer, it was also just her second full-time time trial in competition, after finishing third at the national championships.

McCauley, who clocked a personal best of 51m, 44.34s over the men's 45km course, was jubilant after winning his first Oceania medal. Second was national time trial champion Robin Reid in 52m, 13.34s, with Aaron Strong third in 54m, 38.09s.

McCauley, the reigning national road-race champion, read the conditions well and abandoned his usual all-or-nothing approach, holding back a little in reserve for the final few kilometres.

"I kept a little in the tank for the run home from the turn. I knew the last bit would be really hard," McCauley said. "Usually I don't have anything left in the tank in time trials but, with the way the wind was turning on this course, you needed to [keep something in reserve]."

McCauley has had a stellar year, also winning the national road-race championship and the Tour of Southland.

"It was only 40 kilometres today but they were hard," said McCauley, adding that he had bettered his previous personal best time trial mark by more than 10 seconds.

The championships end today with the road races - 93km for elite women and 160km for elite men.

- NZPA