![]() Despite it only being her second time riding a time trial bike, Wilson-Haffenden finished the event in fourth place, just six seconds off the podium. She competed in her first ever race against the clock as a junior rider at the Australian National Championships in 2020. Perhaps due to her late entry to competitive racing, Wilson-Haffenden immediately found she had a talent for time trialling, a discipline that is all about solo efforts with no navigating through the peloton to worry about. But I actually really enjoyed the chaos of it.”įelicity Wilson-Haffenden at the Tour Down Under Classic (Image: Andy Rogers) ![]() You either hate it or you love it when you go. I crashed so many times there but I think that was also the moment that I knew cycling was what I wanted to do. “In Australia you get 25 riders maximum in a bunch, but the first race we did in Europe was a Nations Cup in France, which had 150 girls on the start line. Then when I went to Europe, it was the most terrifying experience of my life, but I loved it so much,” she says. “I remember when I did Nationals for the first time, I was the biggest hazard in the bunch, I had no clue what I was doing. ![]() It’s clear that much of her lightning fast progress stems from the love that Wilson-Haffenden found for cycling as soon as she had a taste of it, despite having to overcome stumbling blocks early in her career. It’s hard to imagine that just three years ago she was competing on the continent for the first time – to say her journey to the WorldTour has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. I did my first race midway through 2021 and six months later I did my first race in Europe.”Īs she speaks, Wilson-Haffenden has just finished her first ever professional stage race at the Tour Down Under and is dressed head to toe in Lidl-Trek casual wear, looking every bit the professional cyclist. “I probably spent six months just literally learning how to ride a bike. Still, the Australian rider was determined to progress in the sport, one which she had a feeling was right for her. She describes slipping down the banking while riding on the black line at the very bottom of the velodrome on her first session, a harsh introduction to more serious cycling. They were a bit surprised.”ĭespite her lack of equipment, Wilson-Haffenden’s numbers impressed the coaches and she was quickly asked to try riding on the track. I was like, what in to? This is what I've got. I rocked up in running shorts and sneakers and then they asked me to get changed. “Most people who go to these things have done some sort of cycling. “We did a four and a six minute test and apparently I must have been okay,” Wilson-Haffenden reflects.
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