KATRIN GARFOOT GRABS TIME TRIAL BRONZE AT ROAD WORLDS IN DOHA
12 Oct 2016 , by Cycling Australia
Source page: http://www.cycling.org.au/News/All-News/katrin-garfoot-grabs-time-trial-bronze-at-road-worlds-in-doha
Katrin Garfoot (QLD) became just the third Australian in history to medal in the elite women’s time trial as she claimed bronze at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
“I’m happy to be on the podium this year since I failed it by a few seconds last year,” said Garfoot. “I wish it was a bit better but I’m happy to work on that for next year.”
“I was fourth with 10 seconds last year,” she added. “I’m third with eight seconds this year. I want first place one time before I finish my career.”
The reigning Australian and Oceania time trial champion was the fourth last rider to start the race against the clock just before four o’clock as the sun was slowly starting to set. Temperatures were cooler than they had been during the junior men’s time trial, but strategies to beat the heat were still an integral part of Garfoot’s tactics.
“We learned a lot from the team time trial in both the men’s and the women’s events, particularly the U23 event which was the same time of day and same distance as our event,” said National Women’s Road Coach Martin Barras.
“We had done a fair amount of pre-work before coming here, particularly with heat acclimation, but we came to realise very quickly that you could have done as much heat acclimation as possible but pre-cooling was the name of the game here.”
KATRIN GARFOOT GRABS TIME TRIAL BRONZE AT ROAD WORLDS IN DOHA
12 Oct 2016 , by Cycling Australia
Source page: http://www.cycling.org.au/News/All-News/katrin-garfoot-grabs-time-trial-bronze-at-road-worlds-in-doha
Barras and the Cycling Australia staff went to great lengths to be on top of that pre-cooling game. Garfoot warmed-up in cooling vests, ice socks and with ice lodged in her helmet. Her skinsuit was treated with a special lotion to aid evaporation and her booties were doused in cold water.
Garfoot did her part exceptionally well. The Queenslander held a steady pace up until the third intermediate checkpoint and posted the fourth fastest time at each of the three time checks along the 28.9 kilometre course. It was a lift of pace in the final six kilometres that saw Garfoot jump up one spot to secure bronze.
“The heat didn’t impact me so much,” said Garfoot. “From what I heard and saw from the juniors and U23, I expected the heat to play more of a role in my head. I was lucky I didn’t struggle at all, and in the last six kilometres, I made up a lot of time there. Therefore, I think my pacing was a bit off because I was scared of the heat. I think I went out too easy but overall, I’m happy with the ride.”
Garfoot, a 2016 Olympian stopped the clock in 36 minutes and 45.36 seconds, just eight seconds off the winning time of Amber Neben. It was a nervous minute-long wait for Garfoot, who finished fourth a year ago and missed a medal by just three seconds, to see if she would add a world championship bronze medal to her growing collection of hardware.
“This was the first time in a race that I asked Marv to give me time splits over the radio,” explained Garfoot. “I think it was good to know the time gaps. I knew I was fourth on the last one, and I knew the time gap. That helped me fight all the way home.”
“We were coming into fourth place again and all of us in the car were pulling our hair and saying: ‘My God. This isn’t going to happen again.’ But thanks to having done good work preparatory work beforehand, we could give her the splits, and when it was time to lift, she was capable of doing that,” said Barras.
“That was pure joy in the car watching that. A lot of anxiety, too, as we didn’t know until Zabelinskaya arrived if Katrin had pulled it off but the last split was astoundingly good and done at the very best level at the best bike riders in the world.”
KATRIN GARFOOT via Twiiter
https://twitter.com/Katrin_Garfoot
Garfoot joins Australian greats Anna Wilson who claimed silver in 1999 and Kathy Watt who collected bronze in 1995 as the third Australian medallist in the 23 year history of the event.
“We knew coming into the Championships that Katrin had the potential to win,” added Barras. “She didn’t win today but she showed that ability to be capable of winning, not to take away anything from Neben’s outstanding ride.
“Katrin has now established herself as a World Championships contender, and for us that is very, very important. For her that is very, very important, especially after finishing fourth last year.”
The elite women’s road race on Saturday will see Garfoot join Tiffany Cromwell (SA), Gracie Elvin (ACT), Chloe Hosking (ACT), Lauren Kitchen (NSW), Loren Rowney (QLD) and Sarah Roy (NSW) as they tackle the 134.1 kilometre course.
