Canberra-based Haas, 22, will face one of the most testing challenges of his brief but successful cycling career when he lines up in the 163km elite men’s road race at the Mars Cycling Australia Road Championships.

It is a mission the cheerful Haas is relishing.

He is one of 150 riders in Australian cycling’s blue riband event, and he is not ruling out the possibility he might win.

Hass will have only one of his Garmin-Cervelo professional team-mates to support him though — Australian-born Heinrich Haussler, who is riding the nationals for the first time since relinquishing German citizenship.

Haas is acutely aware that Australia’s new international GreenEDGE team will have 16 riders in the 16-lap race, but says he is not daunted, despite lining up against Tour de France stars like Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady, Matt Goss and Simon Gerrans.

“I don’t start in races that I don’t think I have a chance of winning,” he said.

“It will be a big feat for anybody to win this race.

“At this early stage of the year you can dive bomb or you can ride your heart out and maybe win.

“Heinrich and I will be there to have a bit of a go.

“I am excited to be given the opportunity to win a national championship, but it’s probably the hardest instalment of the national championships ever.”

Haas rocketed to national cycling prominence last year, winning the National Road Series crown.

He also upstaged an international field in the Herald Sun Tour and claimed his first overseas win in the Japan Cup. His amazing rise led to a contract with Garmin-Cervelo, a move destined to put him on the start line of a grand tour in the next few years.

“It would be pretty cool to do the 100th edition of the Tour de France in 2013, but just being a member of an international team like Garmin-Cervelo is an amazing thing,” he said.

“With Garmin-Cervelo this year, one of the big things will be to work out what type of rider I will develop into.”

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