Watt makes Comm Games after TT win

Kathy Watt has made Australia's Commonwealth Games team after notching up a win in the Australian Time Trial Championships in Mt. Torrens on Wednesday. She delivered and outstanding performance on what was considered a very demanding circuit.

For the 41 year-old Watt, it was her 31st national road or track title, and one that she was delighted with. "This is as exciting as winning my first national title," she said. "I'm really excited by this as I really wanted to make the Commonwealth Games team and when I saw I could win my way into the team and make it for sure I set my sights on this back in September."

Cycling Australia Women's Coach, Warren McDonald said that Watt's ride was impressive, and accepted her position as part of the Commonwealth Games team - something that past Australian coaches have not always been happy with. "Cycling Australia, for the betterment of the sport, wants to see the best riders take the to the start line and Kathy has come up with the performance, so CA and the public should recognise that," he said. "I recognise that as a national coach."

In the men's race, Nathan O'Neill blew away the competition to claim his seventh national time trial title, beating CSC's Luke Roberts by nearly three minutes and Carvalhelhos-Boavista's Ben Day by 3'12. "It wasn't easy at all. It was really, really solid. I just kept rolling my over all the way through, trying to put the wind up everybody else and make them realise they would have to fight for it," he said after his ride. "I didn't want to give them a look in from the start so I hit them really hard on the first lap. I don't know if everybody cracked or if I just got a pretty decent gap but I just put it on cruise control after a little while," he added.

In the U23 men's TT, Sydneysider Shaun Higgerson held off Tasmanian Mark Jamieson by 26 seconds, with Queenslander Miles Olman finishing third at half a minute.

Click here for full results, report and photos of the Men's, Women's, and U23 Men's time trials. The championships continue on Friday with the women's road race.