With national and world titles already secured, Felicity Wilson-Haffenden is ready to cement her transition into senior competition at a maiden Commonwealth Games.

And the 20-year-old is delighted to be taking that step alongside an idol, mentor and fellow Tasmanian.

Four years ago, Wilson-Haffenden was a fledgling cyclist and excited television viewer as Georgia Baker won three gold medals in Birmingham, so is thrilled that they will be teammates in Glasgow.

“This was so inspiring as a young Tasmanian beginning cycling and definitely a moment which showed me what was possible with enough dedication,” she said.

“If you told me four years ago that I would line up next to Georgia in the following Games, I would not have believed you!

“I am incredibly lucky to have a rider like Georgia not only in the team but also as a fellow Tasmanian. She is fantastic at offering advice whenever needed. She is a natural leader and I will be leaning on her to help me through my first experience competing in such a big event.”

A natural athlete with a love of athletics and hockey, Glendevie-born Wilson-Haffenden has wasted little time impressing on a bike.

After a road time trial junior world title in 2023, she added senior mixed team relay gold last year plus an individual time trial Australian title in January.

Meanwhile, her versatility on the track has led to two Launceston Wheel crowns off the contrasting marks of 250 metres in 2021 and 50m four years later.

And Wilson-Haffenden has fond memories of this year’s host city having claimed her first global crown there three years ago.

“Glasgow has a special place in my heart after winning the junior world championship there. I hope that I will carry some of the magic from 2023 across onto the track for Comm Games.

“The thing that sticks with me most from my last time in Glasgow was resilience in getting back up from a big crash in the road race to win the time trial. I will be reminding myself of this attitude when I step on the boards.”

Teaming up with Michael Matthews, Lucas Plapp, Jay Vine, Brodie Chapman and Amanda Spratt to win the mixed team relay at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda last September was another pivotal milestone for Wilson-Haffenden.

“Kigali was a huge championship for me,” she said. “It was a moment which showed me I truly belonged in the senior peloton and have the ability to win races there.

“Coming from juniors the transition has not been easy as I have struggled to find my feet in the bigger and stronger fields as well as creating a stable home base in Europe. Over the last two-and-a-half years I have gained a lot of experience however, which I believe will only benefit me as I look to make my mark at the front of the peloton at Commonwealth Games and on the road in the years to come.”

In her third year with World Tour team Lidl-Trek, Wilson-Haffenden has already had a hectic season. From her base in Girona, she has raced in Australia, Spain, UAE, Belgium and Denmark, finishing seventh in the youth classification (65th overall) in her maiden Grand Tour.

“It has been a busy year with a lot of travel between Australia and Europe,” she said.

“Starting with a victory in the elite national time trial set me up with a lot of confidence heading into the season. I also had the opportunity to race the Vuelta a Espana which was my first Grand Tour. Completing a race such as this and being active in breakaways and supporting teammates has expanded my abilities both physically and tactically. It is nice to see my progress from the first two years in the professional peloton and I look forward to continuing on this trajectory.”

Wilson-Haffenden will contest the Baloise Tour in Belgium from July 15-19 before joining her Australian teammates in the UK for a pre-Games camp and switching her focus back onto the track.

“It is quite a battle to balance road and track given I am based in Europe which makes track access very difficult. Luckily, with the support of the national federation and TIS, I was able to spend some quality time on the track through November and December and return to Australia in March for the Perth World Cup. I use my time trial bike on the road in Europe to keep ticking over the muscle groups required for track and will step back into the training camp prior to Glasgow confident in my track preparation.

“It’s very special to be selected for my first Commonwealth Games. While representing Australia at a world championships is, of course, special, there is an extra excitement surrounding a multi-sport event which I am beyond excited to experience.

“It’s an opportunity I did not expect to have already this early in my career, but one I plan to absorb every moment of.”

Joining Baker and Wilson-Haffenden in the women’s endurance events will be South Australian Sophie Edwards, 26, Alyssa Polites, 23, of Victoria, and Claudia Marcks, 22, of ACT.