Bobridge sets new world record

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In a repeat of their 2010 duel, Jack Bobridge has again beaten Rohan Dennis to claim the Australian individual pursuit title for the third straight year.

Bobridge, fresh off his record-breaking ride in qualifying earlier in the afternoon where he dinted Chris Boardman's old mark with a 4.10.534, was feeling a little pressure heading into the final against his South Australian teammate.

"I definitely wanted to come out this afternoon and win after breaking the world record this morning," Bobridge said. "I would have been pretty disappointed if I didn't win. I'm happy I won but I'm pretty happy it's over now."

Dennis forced Bobridge into an arm-wrestle at the half-way mark, pushing ahead by 0.002 but that was as close as he would get with Bobridge stepping up to retain the lead for the remainder of the race in a time of 4.15.533.

"I had a feeling he was going to have a go at me somewhere early in the race," said Bobridge. "Unfortunately for him he made his move a bit too early at eight laps to go. It's pretty hard to kick and eight laps and hold it for eight laps. I stayed calm and just waited for the last four laps and luckily he got a bit tired and I was able to come home."

Bobridge, who will head to Qatar tomorrow to ride for Garmin-Cervelo, was firmly of the belief that his top form in the individual pursuit was due to his most-recent ride at the Tour Down Under mid-January.

"Every stage race I've ever come off has resulted in my best IP results with my fastest times coming off stage races on the road," he explained. "It's quite weird that you ride really quick individuals off road racing but it doesn't suit the team's pursuit stuff which requires more power."

Queensland's Michael Hepburn dominated the bronze medal contest against Western Australia's Luke Durbridge, taking the advantage from the first lap and maintaining it to take the prize.

In the women's individual pursuit, 18 year-old Tasmanian Amy Cure had fought her way into the final to face off against two-time national title holder Josephine Tomic, only to be bettered by experience.

Tomic from Western Australia, who was junior world champion and world record holder in the event in 2007, had a rushed preparation for this year's event due to some troublesome wisdom teeth but said that the extra pressure worked in her favour.

"I had two weeks of not doing anything but at the same time it forced me to rush things a bit in the last month and it seems to have worked out pretty well so I can't look back too much," said the 21 year-old.

Tomic's time of 3.35.829 was well ahead of that of Cure's 3.39.000 but the Western Australian said she had been expecting a bit of a fight given Cure had recently broken her 2007 mark.

"I'm lucky this was only really her second real one [at the longer distance] because otherwise I might have been in trouble," a relieved Tomic explained.

Adding to Tomic's joy was the fact that she reclaimed the national title after finishing third in the event last year.

For the bronze medal, Melissa Hoskins reversed her results in qualifying, topping Katherine Bates.

In other results the New South Wales pair Cassandra Kell and Kaarle McCulloch were fastest in the women's team sprint ahead of South Australia's Olympic and Commonwealth champion Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton. This is the first Australian titles where Meares has represented South Australia where she has lived for many years having previously ridden in Queensland colours.

Holly Williams and Allee Proud representing Western Australia were next best.

Commonwealth champion Shane Perkins broke the Australian championship record to qualify fastest for the men's sprint with a blistering time of 10.058 seconds. Finals in the event will be held tomorrow.

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