Having won the Cycling NSW elite women’s criterium earlier in the year, Howard clinched her second state title of 2015 on the slopes of Mount Panorama on Saturday.

She was the fastest rider in the elite women’s field to complete the NSW Hill Climb course, clocking a time of 10 minutes, 49.43 seconds to post a commanding victory. Runner-up Lisa Keeling of the Canberra Vikings Club was more than 20 seconds back with an 11:11, while Macarthur’s Josie Talbot (11:26.17) was third.

“It was a bit of a shock to win,” said Howard, who is a member of the Subaru NSWIS NKS women’s team.

“Lisa Keeling, she’s such a great rider, she is just so tough.”

While Howard had finished on the NSW Hill Climb podium in the past, she had never been able to clinch the gold medal.

But in good conditions on Saturday morning she attacked the course, ignoring the fatigue in her legs as she pushed hard all the way to the finish line.

“It was actually a lovely morning. With all the cold weather we’ve been having I was preparing for a frost, but they were actually ideal conditions to ride in,” she said.

“I didn’t get to give myself a rest at all, but there were certainly points when I thought to myself that it was getting really hard. You pretty much have to be on the limit from the start to get over the early undulations.

“The course is only four or five kilometres long, but hooley dooley is it tough. You feel like you have just done the B2B [Blayney to Bathurst] when you finish; it’s a killer.

“Only two kilometres of it is the actual hill itself, but the rest of the course is undulating.

“I’ve never won this before, so it’s pretty cool and also very humbling.”

Howard backed up on Sunday for the 110 kilometre long course Blayney to Bathurst race, but for the second consecutive year the first female honours belonged to Manly rider Lynne Clarke.

Paced by two male club-mates, Clarke was able to pull clear over the Rockley Mount climb, but Howard still worked hard to the finish line.

Clarke had beaten Howard home by four minutes in 2014, but this time the Bathurst product was just 62 seconds behind. She took two hours, 48 minutes and 33.37 seconds to cover the distance.

Even though she was not quite able to claim her maiden Blayney to Bathurst crown, the success Howard found on Saturday will be motivation enough to keep working towards that title.

“It really means a lot to win this [hill climb] because of all the hard work that you put in; it shows you that it is paying off,” she said.

“It does help your confidence.”

Howard was not the only Bathurst rider to claim a NSW Hill Climb victory. NSWIS team-mate Hollee Simons (11:26.93) won the under 19s category, while Stacey Fish (11:40.24) was the quickest in the women’s masters 3 division.

Adding to those three gold medals were six minor placings from Bathurst riders: Ryan O’Donnell (10:29.18) claimed silver in men’s masters 3, while Ben Taylor (9:50.13, men’s masters 2), Richard Hobson (10:14.83, men’s masters 4), Toireasa Gallagher (12:14.91, women’s masters 2) and Jasmine Lee (13:16.25, women’s masters 1) earned bronze medals.