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Halliday not targeting second New Zealand title

By:
Greg Johnson
Published:
February 18, 2010, 00:03,
Updated:
February 17, 2010, 23:57
Edition:
First Edition Cycling News, Thursday, February 18, 2010
Race:
Women's Tour of New Zealand
Open women's time trial champion Amber Halliday points to her tattoo in respect for the late Amy Gillett who competed in these championships before she was tragically killed in a car accident in Germany.

Open women's time trial champion Amber Halliday points to her tattoo in respect for the late Amy Gillett who competed in these championships before...

  • Open women's time trial champion Amber Halliday points to her tattoo in respect for the late Amy Gillett who competed in these championships before she was tragically killed in a car accident in Germany.
  • With four seconds to spare, Amber Halliday (SA) finishes on top in the women's time trial
  • A well earned drink: Amber Halliday from South Australia quenches her thirst after winning the gold medal in the women's open road time trial in Buninyong.

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Former rower has lost element of surprise

Australian Time Trial Champion Amber Halliday will return to the site of her first cycling success - the Women’s Tour of New Zealand - next week, but she isn’t aiming for a second title. Halliday was a largely unknown rider at last year’s event, with the former rower surprising everyone as she claimed the Admiral Hill stage victory and subsequently the overall win.

“It would be nice to have a good ride in NZ but part of the reason for my win last year is that people didn't know who I was and what I was capable of, not even me really,” Halliday told Cyclingnews. “I'm guessing that this year will be different.”

Instead Halliday will play a domestique role for team-mate and fellow Australian national champion Ruth Corset. The pair will be joined by Australians Jessie Maclean and Davina Summers and South African pairing Cherise Taylor and Charlotte Van de Merve.

“I'm lucky enough to be in a team with Ruth Corset, so I'm looking forward to taking up the super-domestique role to help her out,” said Halliday. “There is a time trial I believe, so my individual aim is to honour the national champion jersey in that. Beyond that, it's all about the team.”

Halliday has spent most of this week in Melbourne, Australia where the Australian Institute of Sport has held a training camp focused on time trialing. The camp involved recorded rides over the course that will be used in this year’s UCI World Road Championships and sessions in Monash University’s wind tunnel.

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