Luke Durbridge crowned new Australian road cycling champion after gutsy win in Victoria

NEW Australian road cycling champion Luke Durbridge was hurting so much he couldn't see straight on the final climb up Mount Buninyong.

Durbridge

LUKE Durbridge was hurting so much he couldn't see straight on the final climb up Mount Buninyong but still managed to smile and throw his arms in the air at becoming Australia's new road cycling champion yesterday.

The 21-year-old Orica-GreenEDGE rider launched an extraordinary attack in the opening kilometres and rode solo across the finish line 195km later.

After winning the national time trial crown on Wednesday, Durbridge became the first man to claim the double since the two events were held together in 2002.

His performance prompted former riders and media commentators to draw comparisons with Swiss four-time time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara.

Durbridge admitted he was in a world of pain and joy as he earned the right to wear the green and gold jersey for the rest of the year.

"I cannot believe it, to be honest,'' Durbridge said after five hours in the saddle.

"I couldn't see straight up the climb  I was crying internally. But no pain no gain, you don't win Australian titles without hurting yourself. I knew I had to go deep and I did."

Michael Matthews won a sprint for second and Steele Von Hoff was third.

Durbridge paid tribute to his teammates for covering moves in the peloton which at one stage trailed his seven-man breakaway by as much as seven minutes.

The break eventually whittled away to become just three before Durbridge managed to crack both Pat Shaw and Bernard Sulzberger inside the final 20km to cap an amazing week.

"For me to do this I'm very emotional, my first road race I've won in three years, it's so special for me," he said.