Felicity Wilson-Haffenden delivers upset win in elite women's time trial

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) has won her first senior national title, fending off a fast-finishing Brodie Chapman to take the elite women's individual time trial national championship.

Riders faced cool, windy conditions on the second day of the Westbridge Funds Road National Championships in Perth. While eligible to contest the under-23 event, Wilson-Haffenden made the decision to enter the elite race.

The Tasmanian completed the 29-kilometre course in 40:15.71, averaging 43.7km/h. She was at one stage leading by 22 seconds before Chapman rallied to finish just 3.8 seconds behind. Josie Talbot (Liv AlUla Jayco) rounded out the podium.

It's the first major individual victory for 20-year-old Wilson-Haffenden, who was a junior world champion in this discipline and was part of the Australian team (alongside Chapman) that won the mixed relay team time trial world championship last year.

“That’s right up there with the best of them for me,” said Wilson-Haffenden.

“It’s a title I really wanted and I really believed I had the ability to do it. I didn’t expect it to come this year, but I’m just proud of myself and proud I committed to doing the elite race, because I really believed I could win it. To actually do it feels really surreal.

“It proves to me I’m on the right path and heading in the right direction, I had great success as a junior and then I was really in the deep end the last couple of years.

“This win for me really tells myself I’m doing the right thing and there is a bright future for me if I keep on this path. It’s a good one for my confidence.”

Wilson-Haffenden had won junior national and world titles, but admitted the last two years had been difficult. She had a strategy to go out hard in challenging conditions.

“It is such a long TT and it is really easy to get ahead of myself, and stress about how much you have to go, so breaking it down into short five minute segments is the way I make it achievable,” she said.

“The headwind was super strong and it got stronger through the race. The hardest part of the race was actually the gusts of the wind, obviously with such deep wheels it is a bit scary when they catch you. I spend enough time on my TT bike to feel pretty comfortable in it.”

While the final gap was under four seconds, Wilson-Haffenden believed it was down to her legs tiring and Chapman, who had been the clear pre-race favourite, lifting in the final stages. 

“I think one of Brodie’s great assets is her endurance and she always finds a way to lift in the final, we’ve seen it time and time again,” she said.

“I think Brodie’s great ability over this long distance, but also I did start pretty hard and started to feel the pinch at the end. 

“It’s pretty incredible to have the top three all so close and down to fourth and fifth. It was such a great race.”

1. Felicity WILSON-HAFFENDEN (Lidl - Trek) 40:15.71                     
2. Brodie CHAPMAN (UAE team ADQ) +3.8            
3. Josie TALBOT (Liv Alula Jayco) +18.4    
4. Georgia BAKER (Liv Alula Jayco) +56.2
5. Alli ANDERSON (Liv AlUla Jayco Women's Continental Team) +1:13.3

Photos: Zac Williams and Chris Auld