Sophie Edwards wins nationwide particular person pursuit title, eyes Commonwealth Video games whereas juggling medical diploma

Sophie Edwards is used to being busy.

Over the previous month, she has raced on the highway in Warrnambool, Sydney, and Brisbane as a part of the ProVelo Tremendous League collection.

She has claimed victories in all three places too, successful her second Warrnambool Basic over 156.6km, the 101.9km-long third stage — and general classification — of the Harbour Metropolis GP and the 64.4km opening stage of the Q Tour.

On Wednesday night time, she additionally raced on the Anna Meares Velodrome in Queensland.

She received there too, claiming the 4,000m nationwide particular person pursuit, her fifth nationwide observe title.

It seems that not solely is Edwards insanely busy, however she’s additionally used to being versatile.

“It has been such a whirlwind,” Edwards instructed ABC Sport on the Nationwide Monitor championships.

“Like, every thing and something during the last 5 days, from hilly, wet highway races by to a four-minute effort on the observe.

“It is not straightforward, and it is one thing that I’ve gotten higher at doing now that I’ve gotten older as an athlete.

“I had a extremely large roadblock over summer time, racing the Tour Down Beneath, placing collectively some prime 10 ends in the World Tour and now simply transitioning to the observe.

“However I am actually happy that I’ve such versatility for the time being to have the ability to carry out on the highway and the observe, and hopefully I can sustain this manner for the remainder of the week.”

All that by itself could be spectacular sufficient.

However an intensive racing programme barely scratches the floor of the 26-year-old’s way of life.

Edwards is in her third 12 months of learning medication at Flinders College — not precisely a level that’s straightforward to coast by, nor one that provides loads of free time to trip bikes.

“It has been actually difficult,” Edwards admitted.

“I’ve acquired good at waking up within the morning. I’ve probably the most superb household and accomplice, who’ll usually stand up early to coach with me. He works in the identical hospital, so he is been an enormous a part of having the ability to concentrate on each my learning and my coaching.

“I feel, for me, having the ability to change between the examine and the biking brings me this attitude that I did not have as a junior athlete,” Edwards continues.

“It makes me realise how fortunate I’m simply to get to race my bike generally for a dwelling, and I suppose in some methods I feel it has really helped me turn out to be each a greater pupil and a greater bike owner.”

Regardless of that assist, learning nonetheless has to return first — and sacrifices should be made.

The South Australian missed out on competing on the Grafton-Inverell Basic as a result of she was on placement within the labour ward at her native hospital.

That being mentioned, Edwards did get to see three births on that Sunday, although, in order that’s one thing.

The Grafton to Inverell was one of many two ProVelo Tremendous League occasions she missed resulting from her research, absences that arguably price her the general collection title, though the Butterfield Zip Monitor Racing rider nonetheless completed second general.

The truth is, Edwards is seemingly driving in addition to she ever has, difficult on the highway in addition to the observe.

It is sufficient to make one’s head spin.

“To be sincere, I am nonetheless attempting to work it out myself,” Edwards mentioned of her plans with regards to the bike.

“I am a full-time pupil, I am in my third 12 months of medical diploma, so for the time being I am on placement usually from 9 to five, and I am simply attempting to slot in coaching round it.

“However undoubtedly the previous few months of racing on the highway and on the observe and seeing that, regardless of clearly my intense examine commitments, I appear to be simply getting higher and higher on the bike, makes me actually take into consideration what the longer term would possibly seem like.

“Perhaps I’ll have a punt once more on the highway in Europe?

“We’ll simply have to attend and see.”

For now, the preliminary focus is on the Commonwealth Video games, the place 4 years in the past Edwards claimed an outstanding staff pursuit gold alongside Georgia Baker, Chloe Moran and Maeve Plouffe, a feat she hopes to repeat in Glasgow.

“My favorite occasion is the staff pursuit,” Edwards mentioned.

“There’s nothing else higher than pushing your self to the restrict alongside the women that you just prepare with day in, day trip.”

Edwards can even compete within the scratch race, factors race and elimination race over the remainder of the week, in addition to the staff pursuit with a gaggle of younger South Australian riders, a job she is taking extremely critically.

“I am tremendous keen about position modelling and serving to our subsequent technology of South Australian riders,” Edwards mentioned.

“Assist them study what it is prefer to race in a bunch, to work in a staff, and push themselves to see what they’ll obtain.

“Quite a lot of them are heading to Europe in a couple of weeks, so this would be the final likelihood to race with them, mentor them and ship them away to go and chase their goals, whereas I’m going again to uni.”

Edwards first has targets of her personal to attain, honing her road-race endurance into track-based velocity.

“I really feel like I am slowly beginning to sharpen the knife, getting higher at shorter and shorter efforts,” Edwards mentioned.

“I do not need to peak too early. My large purpose for this 12 months is the Commonwealth Video games, however I feel that prep with the Tour Down Beneath, Street Nationals firstly of the 12 months set me up in a extremely good place, and now I am simply type of, I suppose, pulling collectively all the ending touches.”

On Wednesday night time in Brisbane, Edwards proved her knife is already lots sharp sufficient.

After setting a brand new nationwide particular person pursuit document of 4:32.651 in qualifying, Edwards backed up within the last with a blistering show to overtake a 1.7-second deficit over the primary kilometre to energy previous nationwide kilo time trial champion Claudia Marcks and win by 1.24 seconds.

That earned Edwards a primary particular person Australian observe championships title since 2023.

Looks like being busy fits her — and that is ominous heading into a really busy 2026 season.