Garfoot’s hat-trick of national trial titles

KATRIN Garfoot’s dominating win at the Australian road cycling championships underscores her status as a major Commonwealth Games medal hope.

The Gold Coaster won the women’s elite time trial for the third year in a row yesterday, smashing her rivals.

She posted 41 minutes 45 seconds over the 29.5km course at Buninyong, near Ballarat and caught several riders who started ahead of her.

She beat silver medallist Lucy Kennedy by a whopping two minutes 28 seconds and four-time winner Shara Gillow was another seven seconds behind for the bronze medal.

Last year, she fell just short of a two-minute winning margin over the same course.

Garfoot’s bronze medal in the time trial and silver in the road race at the world championships last September meant she was already a certain Games selection.

Yesterday reaffirmed she will be one of the key members of the Australian cycling team for the April Games.

“With the Comm Games coming up, having that one in the pocket means I will probably get the start, which I really wanted,” said Garfoot (pictured).

“I am ... just more relieved. “There’s always pressure can I pull it off again? It means a lot to have the gold medal.” Garfoot will also be the defending champion in Sunday’s road race but said that was not yet on her mind.

She put all her focus on the time at the world titles before thinking about the road race and is continuing with that strategy.

“I’ve learned I have to celebrate wins - I’m not much of a celebrator, so I will celebrate this one today,” she said.

“Tomorrow, I will think about Sunday.

“Otherwise, it all mixes it up in my head.”

Garfoot joined Rohan Dennis (men’s time trial), Callum Scotson (men’s under-23 time trial) and Caleb Ewan (criterium) as riders who have won three-straight titles at this year’s championships.