Australia's female track endurance cyclists Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, Claudia Marcks, Sophie Edwards, Alyssa Polites & Georgia Baker

Tasmanian cyclists Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Georgia Baker believe missing the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be worth the sacrifice in order to achieve their goals at the event.

The Australian Cycling Team is skipping the ceremonial curtain-raiser to finalise preparations on the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales ahead of the track cycling program getting underway in Glasgow next week.

Wilson-Haffenden said the team is gelling nicely at the staging camp in Newport, just east of Cardiff.

“We will head to Glasgow just prior to competition,” she said. “Unfortunately, this means we will miss the opening ceremony but it allows us to fully focus and utilise the limited time available for the best preparation into competition.”

The two Tasmanians are part of Australia’s women’s track endurance team along with South Australian Sophie Edwards, 26, Alyssa Polites, 23, of Victoria, and Claudia Marcks, 22, of ACT.

Their events include the 4000m team pursuit, 4000m individual pursuit, 10km scratch race, 25km points race and elimination race and will take place on Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from July 30 to August 2.

“The track girls are all moving very well despite us having quite different preparations due to road commitments,” Wilson-Haffenden said. “Whilst we do not spend a lot of time together it is exciting to link up in these camps and we find our rhythm again very quickly.

“The event schedule is still to be confirmed but it can be expected I will participate in the individual and team pursuits with bunch events yet to be selected.”

Wilson-Haffenden is fresh off an excellent performance at the Baloise Ladies Tour in Belgium where she finished third and helped Lidl-Trek claim the team classification.

“The Baloise Tour was obviously quite successful,” said the multiple road world champion and reigning Australian individual time trial champion who also celebrated her 21st birthday during the five-day event.

“I was happy to put together two strong time trialling performances on some short and technical courses. These are similar efforts to what I will be doing on the track so a great confidence boost heading towards the Commonwealth Games. To also then finish third in the [general classification]  shows that I am performing consistently and have the fitness to complete a full five days of hard racing so I am very happy with the form coming into the next races.”

Returning to Scotland will be an emotional occasion for Wilson-Haffenden who had an eventful junior road world championships there in 2023.

“I imagine arriving in Glasgow will bring mixed memories. Of course it is the place I won my first world title but also where I had a big crash in the road race. Nonetheless it is definitely nice to be back in a country of English speaking people!”

Baker is also fresh off a strong showing at the Baloise Tour and although the Tasmanians had no time to catch up in Belgium, they are pleased to be doing so in the UK.

“Super excited to be back here in Newport with the team and looking forward to the next couple of weeks and getting into the competition,” said the 31-year-old who will be gracing her third Commonwealth Games having starred four years ago in Birmingham by winning the points race, team pursuit and road race.

“I think it will be a really exciting group and I’m just excited to see what we can deliver.

“I haven’t ridden a [team pursuit] with a few of the girls and it’s really exciting and I think we can post a really good time.

“The bunch races are also super different with three people being able to start so it’ll be nice to see what we can do because I think we’ve got some really good strength in our team so I’m looking forward to it.”