The 35-year-old is one of several Canberrans racing in the National Criterium Championship in Ballarat on Friday, along with her fiance Ben Hill, Michael Rice, Nathan Haas, Chloe Hosking, Gracie Elvin, and Emma Viotto.

Wiasak and Hill returned to Australia near the end of last year, having continued their cycling careers in the United States and Europe.

Wiasak was part of Cycling Australia's track program, winning the world crown in the individual pursuit but she was unable to break into the nation's team pursuit side.

Of the two track pursuits, only the team one is an event at the Olympic Games and Cycling Australia decided against renewing her contract for 2019.

The two-time track cycling world champion is the most relaxed she's ever been heading into the Ballarat event, having solely focused on the criterium race.

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"I'm feeling pretty relaxed with it all, I think with the different flow there's less pressure I've put on myself than past years," Wiasak said.

"[Last year] was my third season in America with the domestic team Fearless Femmes. To be a crit rider, you just have to do more crits.

"There's no pressure [in Ballarat] because I've won it before. I've done the same move for both years.

"I tend to hang out at the back of the bunch and then make a late move in the final lap, provided it's a bunch sprint. I'll try and do the same thing.

"I'm probably not in as good physical condition as I was last year, having been a full-time cyclist for six years and then I started working in September."

The Commonwealth Games silver medalist has stepped back from full-time cycling and is now working at the Australian Institute of Sport in the communications department.

She formerly worked as a journalist but the prospect of working directly with elite sport eased her transition to part-time work.

"I wouldn't have been ready for the role I'm in now a year ago, because it was a bit too raw," Wiasak said.

"I was still emotional but I've worked a lot with a sports psychologist at ACTAS earlier last year, before I went to the States to actually try and deal with everything that happened the previous year.

"That athlete transition is still talked about a lot because I don't think we have the right formula for supporting athletes through that.

"They've been part of a system and fully funded, then have to move on with their lives.

"I lived as a normal person in the real world before I was an elite, full time cyclist, so I've always felt I would be well equipped to deal with the real world when I was ready to get back to it.

"It's been nice to reintegrate myself with part time work and still be able to ride the bike and go back to National Championships."

Wiasak has had a disjointed preparation for the Australian Championships, having juggled work for the first time and adapting to the smokey conditions in Canberra.

Wiasak and Hill shifted their training indoors but continued their preparations in Geelong, her hometown, when conditions worsened.

"We just cleared out because it is impossible to do what we need to do in Canberra," Wiasak said.

"It's disappointing because you like to do your preparation at home in a clinical training block but we're lucky to have family in areas where we could train and breathe a bit more easily."