Caroline Buchanan shows off her newest World Championship gold medal. Photo: Charles Robertson
Three different disciplines with three different bicycles in three different countries: Caroline Buchanan's self-described ''logistical nightmare'' has ended, with the cyclist becoming only the second woman to win two world championships in the same year.
Having claimed the BMX world title in New Zealand in July, Buchanan added the UCI Four Cross World Championships mantle in Austria on Sunday.
Only 56 days separated her two crowns, and her fifth place in the world downhill mountain bike championships in South Africa earlier this month.
Caroline Buchanan on course for in her world championship win. Photo: Charles Robertson
The young Canberran sportswoman has won five world titles at just 22.
The weekend's four-cross win was Buchanan's third, adding to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. She also won the BMX time trial world championship last year.
She said she was relieved her title quest was over. ''It's time to have a breather,'' Buchanan told The Canberra Times.
''I really am [happy it's all over]. I think we found out from the UCI I'm the second person to win in a calendar year more than one cycling discipline; two cycling disciplines and two rainbow jerseys.''
She can afford to relax now and enjoy the rest of the year. After a brief visit to her parents and dogs, Buchanan is off to race in the Caribbean and then Mexico City.
From now her focus will be BMX, with Olympic qualifiers for Rio de Janeiro starting in May next year.
After her efforts at last year's Olympics in London, Buchanan wanted to test herself, which is why she went to three world championships.
She praised the work of Australian Institute of Sport strength and conditioning coach Julian Jones, who helped her get ready for a switch from short and sharp BMX races to the long downhill event, then back to the shorter four cross.
While proud of her achievement, Buchanan was a bit disappointed that she had not become the first person to win three rainbow jerseys in a year.
''I'm never really content,'' she said. ''That will be one I'd love to go back and do again.
''Overall I'm happy. It's been an amazing year [but] pretty stressful; a bit of a logistical nightmare.''
Of her five world titles, she said the first was the sweetest.
As a 17-year-old, she stormed to victory in the 2009 four cross titles in front of her home crowd at Stromlo Forest Park.
Nothing could beat the feeling of achieving her goal in front of her family and friends.
It was also easier on her parents, who this time sat up into the wee small hours watching their daughter race on the other side of the world.
Her father hooked up a laptop to the television set and the family settled in on the couch, along with Buchanan's two French bulldogs.
''You can't top the first world championships in 2009 at home at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra.
''That was a fairytale in Canberra and everyone that could possibly be there.
''That was a special moment,'' Buchanan said.
''But I think this one was hard.
''I was tired at the end of the three world championships, [especially] the last one, and I was pretty hungry after the downhill worlds [because] I got so close to the podium.
''This one I wasn't going to lose.''
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