National time trial winner Shara Gillow cops extraordinary attack from runner-up Bridie O’Donnell

SHARA Gillow won her fourth national women’s time trial championship before coming under an extraordinary attack from her second-placed rival.

UCI road world championships in Geelong. Elite Women Time trials. Australia's Shara Gillow at eastern gardens

SHARA Gillow won her fourth national women’s time trial championship before coming under attack from her second-placed rival in Bridie O’Donnell who accused her of sitting behind her on the 29.3km course to gain an unfair advantage.

O’Donnell, 40, also took aim at national selectors for overlooking older athletes at world championships and major Games in an emotionally charged post-race interview.

Gillow won the race at Buninyong by more than one minute, in a time of 44mins 21secs from O’Donnell in 45:22 and Taryn Heather in 45:30, while Rebecca Mackey was fourth and the best placed under-23 rider.

But in a thinly veiled swipe at the winner, O’Donnell accused Gillow of using her as a pacesetter after catching her out on the course.

“I don’t know if it was a drag race, I was in front so she was probably benefiting from having me just in front,” O’Donnell said.

“She made up all the damage on the way out and it’s very helpful to have someone to sit on the way back.

“She should be ashamed of herself that a full-time professional athlete sitting on an old woman with a job like me.

“Good luck to her this season, I know she didn’t quite have the season she wanted (2014), she had some injuries and didn’t ride worlds, she’s absolutely a world class time-triallist and represented her country at the Olympics so I do feel proud that I got second behind her and put in a good ride and with no one to chase today.”

Bridie O'Donnell has launched an extraordinary attack on the winner of the national time trial championships after finishing runner-up. Picture: Colleen Petch

Gillow, who was not spoken to by officials for any possible wrongdoing, said: “I was riding my own race and was on the other side of the road and trying to pass at one stage and only got that bit of opportunity at the end.

“Just concentrating on my own race. I caught her on the way back, sort of passing her, I tried to pass at one stage and was spinning out on the downhills and catch her again.

“It was a bit of cat and mouse at one stage and then I think towards the end I started to come back stronger and passed her at the finish line.

“I was trying to stay right out of her slipstream and taking the longer route on the road to make it a bit more even, so there was no issues there because I thought ‘oh gee I wish the road was a little bit wider at one stage’.”

But O’Donnell was adamant Gillow had an advantage by remaining behind her on the run to the finish.

“I have never sat 20 metres behind a rider and not overtaken her ... it is absolutely a benefit to have someone sitting there to chase,” O’Donnell said.

“And well done to her, she took opportunity of that and wasn’t pulled aside.

“I tried to sit on the right hand side of the road because the wind was coming from the left and I didn’t want her to get any wind advantage from me as much as she was getting a mental advantage from having me sit there.

“I don’t appreciate it, but it’s a bike race and if she’s not going to get DQ’d then it’s in the rules.”

Gillow left Orica-AIS to join Rabobank-Liv in the off-season and reclaimed her national time-trial crown after losing it last year.

“It’s really special. I’ve ridden this since 2009 and had medals six times and this is my fourth national title, just to wear the green and gold again ... to lose it for a year and win it again now I’ve realised how special it is to wear the colours over in Europe,” she said.

As disappointed as O’Donnell was, she was still pleased with her silver medal.

“The result was good ... this course suited me less this year than last year but I’m in better shape. I know I’m really old but I don’t feel I’ve reached my best potential yet.

“I’m really fortunate to have Mark Fenner coaching me and what we’ve focused on is quality of training and not quantity because I do have a job.”

But she took aim at national selectors and women’s road coach Martin Barras for interfering in how Cycling Australia’s female athletes are prepared for a major event.

“I wish the national selectors would work this s--t out — that time-trialling is a sport that people get better at with age. It’s no coincidence that the average age (of the podium) at the Olympics was 39, two of those women have children,” O’Donnell said.

“And if people let athletes do their thing and prepare the right way ... we saw with Felicity Wardlaw she was punished throughout the season and given opportunities that were pretty limited and what a surprise she didn’t get selected for Commonwealth Games and world championships.

“So unfortunately what we’re seeing is girls who are really good at preparing in their own environment are getting picked up by the national team and put under Martin Barras’ program and ‘what a surprise they’re injured, overtrained or sick and they don’t perform well’ so it proves his prophecy to be true.

“I hope that situation changes and women can stick with their own coaches and qualify the way they can.

“Which is what the men do, you don’t get someone telling Cadel or Michael Rogers how to prepare for worlds.”

Originally published as National time trial winner Shara Gillow cops extraordinary attack from runner-up Bridie O’Donnell