Cycling: Schoolgirl a junior world champion against the odds

Rebecca Spence

Rebecca Spence pedalled her way to victory and joined an elite group of New Zealanders with an outstanding ride at the world junior cycling championships in Belgium yesterday.

The Rangitoto College seventh-former became the sixth New Zealand cyclist to don the coveted "Rainbow Jersey" as a world champion.

She follows Allan Miller who won the kilometre time trial at the 1983 junior world track championships - New Zealand's first world cycling champion - to the top of the rostrum.

Sarah Ulmer, the only New Zealander to win more than one world championship, described Spence's win as "incredible" adding the time trial has its own demands.

"Mentally it is pretty tough. It is a bit of a niche event," said Ulmer. "If you button off even momentarily, your chance can be gone."

Like Miller's, Spence's win was against the odds.

Seeded 37th in a field of 45 for the 11.8km time trial, Spence whipped around the hilly one-lap course - taking in part of the Spa-Francorchamps motor racing circuit - in 18m 53s (at an average speed of 37.493km) to beat Ukraine's Lesya Kalitovska by 22s with Dane Mie Bekker Lacota 16s further back.

New Zealand's other competitor Rushlee Buchanan, second in the points race at the track championships a year ago and seeded second for the time trial, finished 12th - 1m 17s behind Spence.

Having to ride so early in the big field, Spence had a long wait before being confirmed as the winner.

She was fastest through the 6.1km split by 24s and gave only 2s back - to Kalitovska - on the ride home.

"Rebecca does a lot of training in the Waitakeres so we were always confident the hills would not worry her," said her father John, who watched from the start/finish line.

"As it was only the second time she had ridden a time trial she did not know what to expect. She put her head down and went hard all the way."

Spence had little time to celebrate as she will be back on the start line tomorrow for the individual road race. She expects a tough race over a circuit which encompasses much of the course used for the time trial.

She and Buchanan carry New Zealand hopes into the race but with a field of 117 and with many European teams going in with up to nine riders, it will not be easy for the pair.

Spence's win in Belgium added to the dream start she had on her overseas campaign.

Last month she successfully defended her world junior duathlon title in Canada before returning to the Triathlon New Zealand base in France to prepare for the championships.

After tomorrow's race, she will return to France to prepare for the World Triathlon Championships in Switzerland. She was second last year.

Spence said: "I feel I'm good enough to do all three."

Who would dare argue?

World Cycling Champions

1990: Karen Holliday, points race, world championships.
1994: Sarah Ulmer, individual pursuit, points race, world junior championships.
2000: Jeremy Yates, road race, world junior championships.
2004: Ulmer, individual pursuit, world championships.
2004: Greg Henderson, scratch race, world championships.
2006: Rebecca Spence, road time trail, world junior championships.