![Speedy: Jenny Dowie was the fastest female in the Warrnambool Tri Club's inaugural virtual time trial. Speedy: Jenny Dowie was the fastest female in the Warrnambool Tri Club's inaugural virtual time trial.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/brian.allen/9c0255d5-022a-4c4f-9b72-2c17c24672d4.jpg/r0_265_5184_3191_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Warrnambool Tri Club plans to host a series of virtual races after the success of its inaugural virtual cycling time trial.
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The 20-kilometre time trial, on the Wangoom Training Circuit, was held over a fortnight.
Riders were required to complete the course in line with social distancing measures and could take on the circuit as many times as they wished.
The deadline for the race was 4pm Sunday and competitors - using a fitness tracker - submitted their best time and a map of their ride to the club.
Young gun Ruben De Silva-Smith (27.43 minutes) and south-west triathlon legend Jenny Dowie (35.30) finished with the fastest male and female times.
WTC president Ian Barnes was thrilled the club had 28 entries and 50/50 male-female representation.
The event didn't just attract the stars of the sport.
"We also had a lot of our beginners and middle-range triathletes coming back," Barnes said.
Some junior triathletes also got involved.
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Barnes said the event was well received by the triathlon community with many members looking for something to strive for.
![Quick: Male and overall winner, Ruben De Silva-Smith. Picture: Morgan Hancock Quick: Male and overall winner, Ruben De Silva-Smith. Picture: Morgan Hancock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/brian.allen/b16f3753-5a50-49a5-8be2-78c4524e7a37.jpg/r0_0_5472_3368_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think it's really bringing our members together," he said.
The president said a new course would be released on the club's Facebook page in the coming days and hinted at what it could be.
"Next round looks like a run and a ride, maybe around Lake Pertobe" he said.
Barnes thanked club member Prue Nadaraj for coming up with the original idea and her business for providing the winning prizes.
WTC, in its off-season, had planned to have weekly training sessions until October.
But those sessions have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barnes said it was great the club had found a way to keep members engaged and active amid the pandemic.
He invited anyone to get involved in the club's future virtual events.
Barnes said he was pleased to see many people being active, in a safe way, in the south-west.
He said he'd noticed more people getting outside for casual bike rides, walks or runs.
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