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One of Australia’s top cycling officials has backed Shara Gillow’s conduct on the way to regaining the national time trial championship.
Runner-up Bridie O’Donnell criticised Gillow immediately after Thursday’s event, accusing the winner of “sitting on”.
O’Donnell said that rather than pass immediately, Gillow had ridden behind her.
Riders can be disqualified in an individual time trial, known as the race of truth, if they ride too close behind competitors.
Gillow eventually went ahead near the finish.
No-one doubts Gillow was a worthy winner – she beat O’Donnell by a minute to win the elite women’s time trial for the fourth time.
O’Donnell said while she was devastated not to win, she was proud to finish second behind Gillow.
Now the championships’ chief commissaire Greg Griffiths has strongly defended what Gillow did when she caught O’Donnell.
“In the view of the chief commissaire the ride of Gillow was without fault or any transgression of the regulations and any suggestion otherwise is at the very best, simply untrue,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths has officiated at an Olympics, two Commonwealth Games and six cycling world championships.
His car started following Gillow early in the 29.3km event at Buninyong, near Ballarat when it became clear she was on a fast pace.
He said Gillow caught O’Donnell about three quarters into the course.
“Gillow attempted to pass O’Donnell on the right side, but upon seeing Gillow, O’Donnell accelerated and as both riders descended O’Donnell managed to remain in front,” he added.
“Gillow tried a number of times to pass, but O’Donnell appeared to have greater energy reserves and finally opened a gap of around 20m on Gillow.
“Gillow appeared to be doing her best as she had lost some of her composure and was beginning to look ragged.”
Griffiths said the gap between the two riders then increased to 50-100m and stayed that way for about 3-4km.
“As the finish drew closer, Gillow started to decrease the lead on each ascent and caught O’Donnell on the last climb within the last kilometre and began passing her without any slipstreaming benefit,” he said.
Griffiths’ car then had to take the traffic deviation near the finish.
“So no further first hand account is possible, but the times reveal that Gillow managed to pass O’Donnell in the final few hundred metres,” he said.
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