If Canterbury cyclist Joanne Kiesanowski fails to live up to her expectations today it will not be through lack of preparation.
The 29-year-old has been in great form in the lead-up to the Olympics and admitted the past eight months of riding - since she visited Beijing in
December as part of the national track team for a world cup event - was geared towards riding well today on the 102.6km course.
She drove the course once and rode it once and burned a mental picture into her conscience, referring to it whenever she needed extra motivation.
"It's been really beneficial for me so that I've had a picture in my mind of what it is," she said. "For the last eight months I've made myself go up and down 10 to 15km climbs wherever I can. I hope it's one of my strengths now."
Kiesanowski was in form this European summer, winning a stage of the Tour de Bretagne Feminin in France and finishing second overall behind Britain's Emma Pooley, one of the riders Kiesanowski sees as a big threat in Beijing.
Kiesanowski will feel a little more confident knowing Cath Cheatley will have her wheel for at least part of the race. Cheatley was a late addition to the field and national road coach Jacques Landry put New Zealand's cards on the table when he said her role will be to assist Kiesanowski get as close to the front of the field as possible, just as it was Tim Gudsell and Glen Chadwick's job to look out for Julian Dean yesterday.
"It will be good having someone to help me out," Kiesanowski said. "The maximum is only three riders per nation in the women's race so we've got only one less than the maximum."
Kiesanowski is not certain team tactics will play a huge part anyway. "It's hard to ride as a cohesive team, as well, with just three riders."
