Tamworth mountain bike warrior Alyssa Rogan has made a clean sweep of the statewide Evocities Series after taking her fifth win from five races at Dubbo last weekend.
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Dubbo was the sixth leg of the series, which included a big second round win at home in Tamworth, and despite missing one race and with the final leg in Orange still to come Rogan heads in a certainty to win the series.
Despite that, the champions will to win the final leg gives a real insight into her determination and drive.
“The series takes the best five results from seven legs but I am still pretty pumped to go to Orange,” Rogan said.
“Riding the perfect race is always the goal – It is that balance of getting the right food and liquid in, concentrating on the right lines and fitness.”
“I have never been bored of the challenge.”
That same determination also saw the champion complete a final 13.6km lap after “hitting the wall” in the 35 degree heat at Dubbo, despite already having the race and series wrapped up.
“I knew the girl behind me was not going to make another lap but I have never given up.”
“I knew I had hit the wall and I was cold from the heat exhaustion but I was very lucky to have such an awesome team at the transition zone to keep me going.”
“They packed ice down my back and got as much liquid in as I could and have supported me the whole way.”
“Winning this series has been pretty sweet.”
A keen cyclist since the age of 11, her two daughters, now aged five and seven, put a handbrake on her cycle for a few years, making this victory just that bit sweeter and also leaving the champion in no doubt on what she wants to do from here.
“I really wanted to prove to myself that I could come back and do it.”
“It was hard to come back after the girls so this series has been a real highlight for me – It’s pretty cool.”
Rogan has witnessed the sport boom in recent years and has now set her sights on passing the baton to the next generation after signing on as an assistant coach in the NIAS Mountain Bike Program for 2017.
“I have proved to myself that I can do it again and now I want to grow the kids in the sport and specifically the girls.”
There are 14 budding stars in the NIAS program, and of that number 13 are boys, meaning young gun Isla Maidment will have one of the best role models in the sport.
“It is great to be able to give these kids such great opportunities and Isla has that love and look in her eye.”
“It will be great to give back to mountain biking.”
The final leg of the series is in Orange on February 5.
