Michael Freiberg says winning the national elite men’s road race title is right up with his world championship and Commonwealth Games gold medal.
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“This is pretty high,” the 28-year-old said when asked where the championship ranked in his career.
“The (national champion’s) jersey is so big.
“This is the one you have to fight the hardest for. This is special for me,” Freiberg said.
“On the last lap I was just hoping for a podium.”
Freiberg looked like having to settle for third in the closing kilometres, after dropping 17 seconds behind Cam Meyer and Chris Harper.
Meyer, who was searching for a road race title to go with his two national road time trial and one national criterium road titles, and Harper, who was third last year, appeared to have the gold medal battle to themselves with the finish line in sight.
However, they slowed down dramatically in trying to get a tactical edge, allowing Freiberg to catch them and sweep straight to a winning lead.
He had only one second to spare on the line, but it was more than enough as Harper finished second and Meyer third after 16 laps and 185.6km.
Freiberg said it had been surreal experience in the home straight as he closed in on the leading duo.
“I didn’t really expect it. I hit them with speed and got a bit of gap.”
He described the championship as a “pay off” for five or six years of hard work.
“I went away from the sport. I knew what needed to be done. I needed to develop my training system.”
Freiberg put his racing career on hold after missing selectioin for the 2012 Olympic Games to develop the automated integrated resistance hub (known as AIRhub) - a resistance training unit designed to simulate mountain riding on flat roads.
Meyer was shattered and close to tears after seeing another opportunity to claim a road race slip through his fingers.
Ballarat’s Liam White finished 23rd, one of just 25 of the 135 starters to finish another epic edition of the national championship.