Cycling: Olympian eyes double repeat in Bay

CELEBRATION TIME: Rushlee Buchanan in celebration mode last January. Will there be similar celebrations next week? PHOTO/FILE

ONE has to admire Kiwi Olympian Rushlee Buchanan's honesty in the countdown to next week's elite cycling nationals in Hawke's Bay.

It would have been easy for the Waikato professional to downplay her chances of repeating last January's time trial-road race double with one or two of those diplomatic responses we hear a lot.

Yes the you can never discount some of the younger riders or the it's not my time to peak kind.

But that's not Buchanan's style.

"If you enter a race you want to win it and I'll be aiming to retain both titles,' Buchanan said.

However, the member of the Kiwi women's pursuit team which finished fourth in Rio pointed out next week's nationals will be more interesting than the 2016 edition.

"All the top contenders have been doing their own thing since the Olympic Games. Last time we were all on the same programmes before the nationals and it was a case of what happened on the day and who was prepared for the race conditions. We knew each other's strengths and weaknesses ... this year it will be different and this makes it more exciting. It will be more tactical with everybody looking for a race win."

Buchanan, 28, who has been back in the country a week from her North Carolina base will be one of 15 starters in the 20km elite women's time trial on Friday and one of 40 starters in Saturday's 112km road race.

The under-23 riders will race for their title in the same road race as the elite women.

"It will make it different. Some of them have signed contracts for America next year ... I will have to keep my eye out for some of those young ones," Buchanan said.

Before leaving the states Buchanan had a training camp in Colorado.

Just as crucial as this camp to her campaign next week will be the support she receives from her American hubby and fellow United Healthcare rider Adrian Hegyvary.

"He came down for the last nationals and was very helpful. Hopefully it's the same again next week."

A two-time Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games representative, who first gained international recognition with a silver medal at the 2005 junior world track championships in Mexico, Buchanan, who also won the 2016 national criterium title, said this year was all about the Rio Olympics.

"The priority was being in the New Zealand team for those two days in Rio back in August. While it was disappointing not to podium we were pretty happy with what we did. We believed we could podium and it would have been nice but we put on a good show and we are all happy with that."

After the nationals Buchanan will tackle two races in Australia, the Adelaide-based Tour Down Under and a Melbourne-based World Tour event.

Following those races she will return to New Zealand with the aim of making the Kiwi team for the April world track championships in Hong Kong.

It will be a surprise if she doesn't tick that goal off and just as big a surprise if Buchanan doesn't retain her two titles next week.