Cycling Queensland

Canberra’s Rebecca Wiasak has taken out stage one of the DBR Canberra Women’s Tour, notching up her fourth consecutive time trial win in the 2012 Subaru National Road Series.

Wiasak (Suzuki/Trek) smashed the field to win with a time of 23:04 minutes, ten seconds ahead of Ashlee Ankudinoff (Boss/Nutrixxion) who posted 23.14min and Taryn Heather (SASI) who recorded 23.16min.

“It feels fantastic," said Wiasak, "I have lived in Canberra for nine years now, I’m from Geelong originally, and my mum’s flown up last night to watch this.

"So it’s a bit emotional to get the win at home and in front of the ACT academy of sport who I am apart of and also my team Suzuki/Trek.

The odds-on favourite, it was a friend of Wiasak’s that may have given her the mental edge prior to the time trial.

“I had a friend come up to me before and he said ‘if there were bookies on this race I’d have my money on you, I’d say you’re 10-1’.

"He compared me to Black Caviar and I actually had that in my head on the way back thinking ‘I’m Black Caviar,’ so I’m really glad to notch up another race in the NRS,” Wiasak said.

“I put a fair bit of pressure on myself, knowing I had won all three of the prologue’s and time trials in the NRS before this race, so I wanted to continue and get a fourth win which is just fantastic,” she said.

Although the course was challenging, the 28-year-old said she had given it everything to make sure she came out on top.

“Having had some time checks I knew what the girls had done at the turn around and I guess I’m stronger on the flats and the course is totally undulating, so I just kept it in a big gear went hard the whole time,” she said.

Conditions were perfect for time trialling on the opening day of the Canberra tour, with no wind and clear skies allowing riders to set fast times over the 15.5kilometre course.

Second placed Ankudinoff was pleased with her result and said she was looking to continue her form heading in to stage two’s road race.

“I’m not a pure climber unlike Ruth Corset or Lisa Jacobs but I’m hoping to get over these Canberra hills and really give it a crack and hope to do well in this tour,” Ankudinoff said.

The DBR Canberra Women’s Tour continues on Saturday with a 77 kilometre road race starting at Stromlo Forrest Park.