In a pulsating Individual Pursuit final at the 2017 Australian Track Championships, High5 Dream Team’s Rebecca Wiasak claimed her first-ever Australian championship by beating home Amy Cure of Tasmania in a time of 3:30.404.

After launching out of the blocks, Wiasak quickly built up a one second lead in the opening laps, laying down a marker for the fast-finishing Cure to chase down.

As the laps ticked down and Cure began eating into the one-second margin, Wiasak found another gear and pushed through to add the green and gold stripes to the rainbow jersey she wears as Individual Pursuit World Champion.

‘It is an incredible feeling, I have been chasing this for a number of years. It is really special to put the green and gold jersey over the rainbows, and to finally win a national title,’ Wiasak said.

‘I was feeling comfortable this morning, knew I had more to give this afternoon. With a few laps to go, I felt strong but Amy finishes really strong so you can’t feel too comfortable against her.’

‘It’s so cool that Ash, Amy and I have shared the top step in this event over the past four years,’ Wiasak added. ‘We are teammates, we train together and live together for parts of the year, so to stand up alongside them on the podium, it is a special feeling.’

Quotes courtesy Cycling Australia

Images copyright John Veage/Cycling Australia