Three titles across three disciplines for Buchanan

Feb 14th, 10.  She's the 2010 Criterium Champion, the 2010 Road Race Champion and as of last night, Rushlee Buchanan is the 2010 Scratch Race Champion on the track.

Rushlee Buchanan - 2010 NZ Scratch Champion ©RoadCycling.co.nz

As the laps counted down, so did the time gap and with one lap to go Buchanan was in close range of a motivated Jo Kiesanowski who was driving the chase.

Fortunately for Buchanan the finish line came just in time and she managed to stay ahead of her 2009 US road pro-teammate to take the victory.

"I'm ecstatic. I mean it's the last day of the meet and I just thought I've got to give it everything, there is nothing after this," Buchanan said after her win.

"I could have gone in thinking about omnium points and who I had to beat but I decided if I go in and go to win and I pull it off, excellent, and if I don't then I've still given it everything and what more can you ask for."

She couldn't have asked more of herself and just like she did in her other 2010 NZ titles, Buchanan won from a solo break.

"I ride aggressive, I don't like sitting on the back so it's kind of my thing to chase people down. I like to finish solo I think," she said of her winning tactics in her other national titles.

"I just said, this is it. one lap to go. I don't have to do anything more. If I fall off at the end ... then sweet."

And sweet it was. As well as the scratch victory, Buchanan earned the silver medal in the omnium.

Buchanan broke free gaining a sizable gap ©All RoadCcling.co.nz

She stays just in front of Jo Kiesanowski for the gold

Sharing the great news with family moments after the race

In one week Buchanan heads to Wellington for the NZCT Women's Tour of New Zealand where she is riding in an NZ selection team before heading back to Invercargill for a three week training camp prior to the UCI World Championships.

The scratch race podium ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Buchanan says the Team Pursuit is her Plan A for the Worlds but if given the opportunity she'd be up for racing the scratch race.

Women's Scratch Race, 10km

• Gold - Rushlee Buchanan (Waikato Bay of Plenty)
• Silvver - Jo Kiesanowski (Canterbury)
• Bronze - Sequoia Cooper (Southland)

(If you're counting, you should count a fourth champion title for Buchanan – the Team Pursuit. Buchanan's Waikato Bay of Plenty successfully defended their pursuit title last night.)

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