Video: Durbridge remains focused only on the year ahead
Hopes his "healthy rivalry" with Meyer continues
Luke Durbridge (GreenEdge) would not be drawn into any suggestion that his elite men's time trial title would be the start of a long streak for the 21-year-old, but maintained that he wanted to return "each and every year" to the event out of respect for the green and gold jersey.
"I'm going to come here every year to do the nationals," said Durbridge. "I'll worry about next year, next year, and the year after that the year after that. For now I just want to take pride in wearing these colours."
Durbridge took the title with a thrilling ride over friend and teammate Cameron Meyer, who as the final rider down the ramp saw the title slip from his hands by just seven seconds. Durbridge, who also picked up the under 23 world time trial championship, explained that his growing rivalry with Meyer was not something that affected how they worked together or for that matter their long standing friendship.
"It's not like we don't talk to each other before the race or anything, it's not like that. We just do our own thing, and I think it's a really healthy rivalry. I won this year, but maybe Cam will take [the title] back next year."
Durbridge next heads to the Tour Down Under as a late replacement for Jack Bobridge before shifting his focus to the track as he builds toward team pursuit gold in London.
Watch the full interview with Luke Durbridge below:
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As a sports journalist and producer since 1997, Jane has covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games, rugby league, motorsport, cricket, surfing, triathlon, rugby union, and golf for print, radio, television and online. However her enduring passion has been cycling.
Jane is a former Australian Editor of Cyclingnews from 2011 to 2013 and continues to freelance within the cycling industry.