After just missing the podium 12 months ago, Canberra cyclist Nathan Haas plans on climbing his way to the top at the Road National Championships on Sunday.
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Haas, 27, who challenged for victory at the Ballarat race last year riding for Dimension Data said January was an unpredictable time of the season, but he was in good shape.
"I'm feeling like I'm in a good place mentally, which is a good place to start, and second of all my body feels good, so I'm ready to go," Haas said.
"I was fourth last year and in the under-23s I came second, so I have a history of going well there, but it's very hard to know where you're at in January when you haven't actually done any racing.
"Everyone has been training but if you want to make a football comparison ??? none of us have match fitness yet, so it's very hard to call.
"You do all the work and sometimes you turn up and kick arse but other times you find yourself chasing wheels all day."
Haas said weather conditions would play a crucial role in deciding his chances on Sunday.
"On the climb if there's a tailwind there might be guys faster at the finish, but with a crosswind it gets more selective and I might be able to play a sprinting game with a smaller group," he said.
"Heat plays a huge part of the game as well, but I've been in Australia getting use to the heat since early November, so I should be able to handle the forecast 33 degrees.
"You can't control the luck element, but you need to be in it to win it and hope for the best, it's a very unpredictable race but lots of fun."
Haas will ride with two Dimension Data teammates and believed his trio could still compete against the larger teams.
"Ultimately nationals is an individual race which is raced by teams," he said.
"Teams with numbers certainly have the odds stacked in their favour as they can put the race in the hands of one of their guys, but it's no guarantee, they've still got to have the guy for the conditions.
"You never know how it's going to pan out, I think my guys and I can do something in the race but it just depends on the weather and how the tactics unfold."
Haas said he would love to taste victory on Sunday but he was gearing his season for the European cycling calender.
"I've got my eyes set firmly on the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands in April, it's a super fun race which suits me well, so everything I'm doing is building towards that," he said.
