Luke Plapp Defies Chain Failure During Race, Clinches Australian Road Cycling Time Trial Championship

There is a great element of theatre and drama attached to sports. Some moments during a match or race brings out a series of emotions from players and fans. Australian cyclist Luke Plapp, had a dejavu moment during the time trial title race in Ballarat.

For the second time in two consecutive years, the cyclist had a mechanical problem at the same point on the track as the previous year. It was a heart-in-the-mouth moment for Plapp, as that failure would have brought back memories of his finish last year. How did he take control of the situation? Let’s dive in to find out.

Cyclist Luke Plapp’s minor hiccup

The Australian Road Cycling Championships was the first time Luke Plapp donned the Jayco AlUla for the first time. A new beginning often implies a different path, but Luke found himself in similar waters after he faced a mechanical failure, just like the previous year. It happened at the first climb at Gear Avenue, where his chain dropped.

Last year, in the pursuit of making up the lost time, the overexcited cyclist cost himself a top-three finish.

However, things were quite different this time around. Luke displayed great calmness in adversity. Any normal player would have doubts creeping into their minds, especially after being in a similar situation in the past.

He overcame the hurdle, went through a smooth bike replacement, and absolutely nailed the remainder of the race. Mat Hayman played a massive role in keeping him calm during it all, ensuring he was in the right headspace.

All eyes set on cycling glory in 2024

Last year, after his chain dropped unexpectedly, the young cycling maestro got flustered and let his thoughts get the better of him, This time around, he shut all the outside noises and focused on putting all his energies into racing. After getting the cycle replaced, it seemed like there was a new found fire burning inside him.

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He was determined to right the wrongs of last year and went into beast mode. He finished the 37.5 kilometres Ballarat course in a total time of 46 minutes and 19.54 seconds. The next best cyclist was 32 seconds behind him, showing just how dominant his performance on the track was.

“Exact same spot as last year, on the very top of the climb on the first lap, I went to change from the little ring back to the big and the chain just didn’t come up,” Plapp said. “Just a bit of bad luck from me, but I think last year I really got over-excited and tried to make up for it and I just wasn’t mature enough, and I think I really learned from that.”

He now has his sights on the 32.4 kilometre time trial at Parish 2024 and judging by his current trajectory, it is only a matter of time before he announces himself at that stage too.

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