By Jamie Finch-Penninger?? @FishysCP
Round 8 CIC-Cervelo Super Series was an uphill time trial up the Old Freeway, with Cameron Bayly (Swiss Wellness) emerging victorious as he set a scorching time of 12.40 up the 6 kilometre, 6% climb to win the time trial from Rhys Gillett (Van D?am p/b Butterfields) and Callum Scotson (CIC-Cervelo). The event was put in to replace the cancelled Norton Summit Hill Climb, but with the climb both harder and longer than the cancelled route, the main problem was that it wasn?t the easiest course for spectators to get to.
The Strava segment record holder, at least before the time trial, was Rhys Gillett, and he set the early pace up the climb, stopping the clock at 12.50 and bettering his previous record. That mark was to stand for a long time, withstanding the test of newly minted Under 23 National Time Trial champion Callum Scotson who went through with a time of 12.57. Cameron Bayly?s time of 12.40 proved the best however, conquering the chilly Mt Lofty to claim the win.
A variable climb, with even a downhill section or two, and ramps in sections of up to 10%, it?s far from the easiest climb to master, as winner Cameron Bayly explained. ?I wasn?t really sure on the times up here, I?ve never really given it a crack before, well, I?ve tried from the bottom, but not from the kennels (where the course started for today). So I didn?t know what a quick time was, I just knew my numbers were good. I didn?t know if I was the quickest till the last moment there. I knew the number I was trying to hold, then I just tried to lift towards the end there. It was a little bit hard, especially with the headwind most of the way up the climb.?
Bayly is recently returned from Italy, where his season didn?t go exactly to plan, but he hopes that a combination of riding in Adelaide and riding for Continental squad Attaque Team Gusto will see him fulfil his ambitions. ?I always love to race locally, I think Adelaide has some of the best depth of talent in Australia, we?ve got some awesome racing and awesome roads to ride on and I love to ride on them every time I can. I had a pretty poor nationals, I expected a lot more, so I?m super motivated to turn that around. We?ve got the Sun Tour and Cadel Evan?s Road Race coming up, so I?m super pumped to do well in them.?
In the battle for the overall series lead, Tom Kaesler (SASI) retained it after finishing 8th in the TT, but Russel Van Hout (Team Lightsview) will gain on him after a 4th position on the stage. There are two rounds remaining in the series, with the next a criterium in Prospect on Monday the 18th at 6 pm.
Check out Fishy?s podcast Brakedownpodcast for more great interviews, race previews and reports.
