Rebecca Wiasak makes it back-to-back national criterium championships with victory in Ballarat

Rebecca Wiasak’s refusal to give up on her cycling dream has led to back-to-back national criterium titles and helped cement her plan to ride on towards Tokyo on the road.

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Rebecca Wiasak’s refusal to give up on her cycling dream has led to back-to-back national criterium titles and helped cement her plan to ride on towards Tokyo on the road.

The 34-year-old lost her national scholarship with the track program last year despite winning two individual pursuit world championships on the velodrome.

But rather than quit the sport, Wiasak turned her focus to the road and last night defended her national criterium title in Ballarat and now has her eyes on Tuesday’s time trial as well.

Wiasak, who rides for Fearless Femme, beat Mitchelton-Scott’s Sarah Roy and Victorian Institute of Sport’s Ruby Roseman-Gannon in a drag race to the finish after 40 laps.

“I almost left my green and gold skinsuit in Geelong because we are here for the weekend then go to Tour Down Under with the UniSA national team,” Wiasak said.

“And I joked with Ben, my fiance, ‘should I pack the skinsuit, what if I jump in one of the Adelaide club races?’ and I packed it just in case and now I get to wear it for another year so I’m pretty excited.”

The start of Elite Women’s Criterium in Sturt Street, Ballarat yesterday.

Wiasak came into the race ruing a mistake in the final stage of the Bay Crits which cost her $3500 in prizemoney on Thursday.

“Of course I lost my scholarship and funding in the middle of last year and I’m currently unemployed, and it’s really hard to see the bank account go down,” she said.

“But a green and gold jersey, this is something money can’t buy.

“I replayed the (Bay Crits) race about a thousand times in my head overnight and had a really rubbish sleep.

“But I know this course well and aside from GreenEDGE the race kind of kept under control, and I was excited it was a bunch sprint.”

Wiasak, who suffered concussion in a criterium in Noosa in November, said she had modest expectations going into this week’s national championships but had big ambitions on the road for the next two years.

Rebecca Wiasak rehydrates after winning the 2019 Australian women’s national criterium title.

If she can translate her proven track and criterium legs into the individual time trial she could be a contender for the Tokyo Olympics following the retirement of Katrin Garfoot.

“I’d been training really well having made the decision that I wanted to pursue the road, I definitely wasn’t finished and knew that I had more to give,” Wiasak said.

“I can’t give it on the track any more unfortunately but there are opportunities to do the time trial.

“It is something I would love to have a crack at but this year is maybe more of a benchmarking exercise to see where I’m at, how I compare and what work I would have to do.

“I’ve been chatting to the national team in terms of focusing on the time trial because that is an option that I have.

“I’m not ready to hang the bike up and if there’s another opportunity I’m definitely going to take it.”

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Originally published as Rebecca Wiasak makes it back-to-back national criterium championships with victory in Ballarat