I Raced a World Championship Time Trial on a Road Bike

I raced an Individual Time Trial at the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Niseko, Japan — representing Australia on my Merida Scultura 4000 road bike. 🇦🇺🚴 No dedicated TT bike. Just me, my road bike, and around 24 minutes to give absolutely everything I had. In this video, come along for the full race as I talk you through what was happening on the road and use my power, heart-rate and cadence data to see what I got right — and what I definitely could have done better! And looking back at the numbers, there was one fairly obvious mistake… ⚡ 444 watts for the opening minute! I may have been just a little excited. 😂 From there, the data tells an interesting story. I averaged 272 watts, 37.6 km/h and 101 rpm, but after averaging around 326 watts for the first five minutes, I paid for that aggressive start through the middle of the race before finding something again towards the finish. THE NUMBERS ⏱️ Time — 23:38 📏 Distance — ~14.8 km 🚴 Average Speed — 37.6 km/h ⚡ Average Power — 272 W ❤️ Average HR — 163 bpm ❤️ Max HR — 172 bpm 🔄 Average Cadence — 101 rpm But the part of this race I'll remember most isn't in the data. Coming into the final kilometre, completely on the limit, I could see my family near the finish. Then I spotted the Australian flag waving and heard them cheering. Somehow, I found a little more. To be in Niseko, wearing the Australian colours, racing my bike at a World Championship with my family there to see me cross the line is something I'll never forget. I'm not a professional cyclist. I'm an amateur cyclist from Brisbane who rides to work, loves riding his bike and decided to find out just how far cycling could take him. Turns out, this time it took me to a World Championship. If you've enjoyed following the journey, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and leave a comment — particularly if you're an experienced time triallist. I'd love to know how you would have approached my pacing differently. This is my ride. My story. My inspiration. #UCIGFWorldSeries #UCIGranFondo #Niseko #Cycling #TimeTrial #RoadCycling #CyclingAustralia #AmateurCycling #Merida #WorldChampionships One small thing I particularly like here is asking experienced TT riders how they would have paced it. Your 444 W opening minute gives people something specific to debate in the comments rather than a generic “let me know what you think,” which could help generate more meaningful engagement. Special thank you to Jimmy at Bikeology for keeping my bike is incredible condition, it never fails my friend. And shout out to ‪@recyclebicyclesales‬ in Adelaide.