Niamh Fisher-Black of New Zealand celebrates on the podium after winning the U23 women's road race cycling event at the UCI 2022 Road World Championship in Wollongong. Photo: AFP
While the status of Niamh Fisher-Black continues to rise, the young Nelson cyclist admits the world road race title in Scotland this weekend is probably out of her reach.
Fisher-Black finished 12th overall at last year's event in Australia which was good enough to give her the under-23 title in the combined event.
She is now highly respected in her Dutch pro team SD Worx and was made the lead rider for the Giro Donne in Italy.
She finished ninth overall, but was disappointed with her ride.
Fisher-Black wasn't chosen for the recent Tour de France and instead spent her time training in the mountains of Spain.
"It's not often you get this sort of period in the middle of the season where you get a few weeks off (racing), so it's nice to knuckle down into some training and I can improve of things I've been lacking.
"The (Glasgow) course is quite punchy so that takes some training."
The 154km women's road race starts at Loch Lomond and takes in one significant climb before entering Glasgow for six circuits of the city.
Fisher-Black admits the circuit part of the course is both technically and physically challenging.
"It's a lot of really steep streets and tight corners which makes it a really hard race because it's just effort after effort."
She's optimistic about her chances at the worlds, but admits it's always tough for a small team like New Zealand.
"I know that I belong among the best so I just want to make sure I'm there and can take an opportunity somewhere."
New Zealand cyclist Niamh Fisher-Black riding for SD Worx, 2023. Photo: AFP
Fisher-Black likes the squad New Zealand has which includes Ally Wollaston, Ella Wylie, Georgia Williams, Georgia Perry and Kim Cadzow.
"I'm excited to see how Ally goes, I know she's coming off the track but she's a strong sprinter so that's nice to have.
"I'll look to go earlier on a hill, but I'll have a sprinter behind which is always good to have.
"I think this sort of course will suit Ally."
While the world championships isn't the focus of her year, Fisher-Black does have the motivation to do well.
"It's its own type of race, super hard and attritional so if you can show you can be amongst the best in the world you've really got something to say about yourself
(However) "It's not a situation where I can put too much expectation on myself.
She concedes that if it comes down to a sprint, the big teams like the Netherlands and defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten have a huge advantage as they have eight riders who can control the race to suit their riders.
Along with van Vleuten there are three other Dutch riders expected to contend for the title including Marianne Vos, Demi Vollering and reigning European road race champion Lorena Wiebes
Riders from the Netherlands have won five of the last six world women's road races.
- RNZ
