Odlin upsets Sergent on opening day of nationals
Vink takes out under 23 title
Canterbury's Paul Odlin upset the field to win the men's time trial at the RaboDirect Elite National Championships in Christchurch today.
Odlin clocked 49 minutes 35 seconds for the 40km journey near Lincoln College to finish 21 seconds ahead of his Subway Pro Cycling teammate Sam Horgan with favourite Jesse Sergent third.
Canterbury's Michael Vink made it two wins in three years in the under-23 event.
Odlin, a father of two, mixes work with his passion, as a cycling coach in Christchurch, and he gave his clients the perfect lesson in time trialling today.
He was runner-up four years ago but went one better with a gutsy performance today.
"I'm fortunate to coach and be able to integrate my training into my work which is great," Odlin said. "And I am so grateful for the support I get from Subway Pro Cycling team with the bike, the support and the input from guys like Hayden Godfrey.
"I had some of my clients out supporting me today which was great."
The Cantabrian pushed hard over the first half but had to fight the demons on the return leg of the 40km test.
"I felt really good going out. I knew it would be hard coming back so took that into my planning. I struggled though but everyone did. It was a matter of digging deep and hanging on.
"It's quite a thrill to win this title for sure."
Odlin said the one-two finish for his Subway Pro Cycling team is a real boost ahead of Sunday's men's road race.
"This shows that Subway are here and going to be a force. This result gives us some confidence for Sunday and I am sure as a team we will have a good race."
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Paul Odlin (Subway Pro Cycling, Canterbury) | 0:49:35 |
2 | Sam Horgan (Subway Pro cycling, Canterbury) | 0:49:56 |
3 | Jesse Sergent (East Coast North Island) | 0:50:03 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Michael Vink (Mico Protrain, Canterbury) | 0:49:48 |
2 | Jason Christie (Mid South Canterbury) | 0:50:30 |
3 | Fraser Gough (East Coast North Island) | 0:50:39 |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
David Gaudu undergoes hand surgery following Tirreno-Adriatico crash
Date of return to racing is to be determined for French climber targeting Giro d’Italia -
La Flèche Wallonne Femmes winners
La Flèche Wallonne Femmes champions from 1998 to 2024 -
'This year I'm feeling even better' - After Tirreno-Adriatico sprint win, Olav Kooij takes aim at Milan-San Remo
In the absence of Wout van Aert, the Dutch sprinter will have a leadership role on March 22 -
Jonas Vingegaard loses lead of Paris-Nice after mid-race crash
Dane struggles in steep uphill finale on stage 5, concern over injured hand