"Western Australia's Lyn Nixon, a 35 year-old mother of two, fought her way from the outer fringe of Olympic selection to become a strong contender for Atlanta by winning the Australian women's road cycling title yesterday. Nixon, reportedly told before the Digital Australian titles in Sydney she was the seventh pick for a six-rider Olympic squad, cemented her right to a berth with a winning 64km solo attack."
"After breaking away from the lead group of 17 riders with 16 laps of the 4km Centennial Park circuit in Sydney left, she won the 105km race in 2.54.29. Her winning margin was 1.50 over Victorians Kathy Watt and Anna Wilson and four other who made up the depleted lead group. In reality, Nixon's bravado salvaged a disappointing race, tarnished by the failure of her rivals to try to stop her."
Nixon said "With five laps to go I started thinking they would catch me because my lead dropped. I knew then that I really had to nail myself. But as soon as I started getting my time back, I thought great, although I didn't really feel I had it won until one lap to go."
Guinness says that "Nixon's win yesterday and her bronze medal ride in Wednesday's ITT won by Watt could not have come at a more opportune time. It is now expected the Perth research chemist will be announced in a squad of six from which a final team of four (including one reserve) will be chosen for Atlanta. Before the titles, Nixon's odds looked slim, which national women's coach, Andrew Logan confirmed yesterday."
Logan said that "Certainly going into these races it looked like Lyn wouldn't even be making the squad trip overseas. She knew that she didn't just need a good performance, but a super performance. And hers was extraordinary. But I'd have to say that some of the others are very tentative of their ability to lay it on the line. As their coach I even had to yell at them with five laps to got that it's a race for selection to try to stir things up."
Guinness: "All eyes were on Watt, the 1992 Olympic Games champion, to ignite the chase of Nixon's move. But with Watt already selected for the Games, she had little to gain by trying to chase down her close friend Nixon [Bill notes: except a bloody national title!!!]"
Watt said: "I'm realy pleased to see her take the title. She has taken the front foot to everything in these titles and really pushed it for Olympic selection. I was planning on making an attack with 40km to go but my legs started cramping. So I thought I would save myself for the sprint. But really, it was up to the other girls to chase, not me."
Guiness: "The road titles continue today with the 200km men's road race at Centennial Park. All eyes are on Queenslander Nathan O'Neill, who is a strong chance to add another title to the ITT crown he won on Wednesday. The field of 110 riders include members of the powerful Giant-AIS trade team. The titles conclude tomorrow with men's and women's criterium championships at Darling Harbour."