Luke Durbridge facing world-class threat in national time trial

THREE current and former world champions pose the biggest to Luke Durbridge claiming his third national time trial crown on Wednesday.

Luke Durbridge, right, faces a tough challenge in the national time trial. Picture: Colleen Petch.

THREE current and former world champions pose the biggest to Luke Durbridge claiming his third consecutive national time trial crown on Wednesday.

London Olympians Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn - who won team pursuit world titles together on the track in 2010 and 2011 - and current under-23 road time trial world champion Damien Howson have targeted the 45km race against the clock during pre-season.

With seasoned time-triallers Richie Porte, Cadel Evans, Cameron Meyer and Michael Rogers not racing at Burrumbeet this afternoon, it sets the scene for a battle of Australia's young guns.

If Durbridge triumphs, he will be the first rider since Queenslander Nathan O'Neill who won four titles in a row from 2004-2007, to win three on the trot.

Dennis is coming off a breakout rookie professional season for Garmin-Sharp in which he ran top-10 in major individual time trials at the Tour of California (3rd), Criterium du Dauphine (2nd), Tour de Romandie (9th) and was 12th at the world titles.

"Things are looking good, I'm definitely in better condition than I was last year," Dennis said.

"I've been doing a lot more on the TT bike than last year which was really one day on it before the time trial, this time I've put a bit more emphasis on getting used to that position.

"My goal is go to the top step and I've been working towards it with my coach.

"You can never go past Durbridge, he's always going to be hard to beat whether he prepares for it or not, that is his speciality."

Hepburn is heading into his first full season on the road with Orica-GreenEDGE, having finished his track commitments last year.

At the end of last season he set himself a goal of making the podium of Wednesday's race but admits with his first proper race not until the Tour of Qatar in February, he may not be in peak condition.

"I've done a few days on the TT bike but it hasn't been a massive goal," Hepburn said.

"It's still four weeks until my first race of the season in Qatar so my main focus has been getting good kilometres in.

"But over the next few years one of the things I want to focus on is the long time trial.

"Coming from the track we do a lot of shorter efforts and pursuits so I want to be able to transfer that to the road and an hour-long time trial.

"I'd like to be on the podium in the TT at nationals and I think that's a realistic goal."

Howson has become a powerhouse time-trialler since switching to cycling from basketball as a teenager and now 21, and armed with an Orica-GreenEDGE contract for next season, is ready to test himself against the professionals.

Last season he completed a clean-sweep by winning the national, Oceania and world championship time trials at under-23 level.

Other riders expected to be in the hunt in Wednesday's time trial include Drapac trio Will Clarke, Jack Anderson and Lachlan Norris, while Tim Roe returns after a stint with BMC Racing Team to make his debut for Budget Forklifts.

2014 MARS CYCLING AUSTRALIA ROAD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

WEDNESDAY

10am: Under-23 men's time trial (28km)

11.30am: Elite & under-23 women's time trial (28km)

2pm: Elite men's time trial (45km)