Shanks (26) shot to VIP status in New Zealand sport when she won gold medals in the individual and teams pursuit at the World Cup meeting in Beijing last weekend.
She did not disappoint her fan base and easily won yesterday's event when she sprinted with two laps left to break the resolve of fellow Dunedin rider Emma Hutchings to win by 70m. Cathy Jordan (Southland) was third.
Watching from the sidelines were Shanks' parents Kay and Roy, grandparents Watson and Madeline Barkman and sisters Nicola and Maxine.
Halfway through the race, Shanks attacked in order to break up the field.
"I wanted to make it hard for a while and string the field out," she said. "The splits came from that."
But Shanks did not have it her own way after this as Carolyn Jenkins (Dunedin) attacked strongly from the front. However, the biggest threat came from Hutchings who was having the race of her life.
Hutchings (23), a Dunedin accountant, started cycling in New Plymouth but did not race beyond regional level while at the University of Otago.
She knew that she had ability when winning a silver medal in the points race at last year's national championships in Invercargill.
Hutchings forced the pace and Shanks, who was still recovering from jet lag after her return from Beijing, was desperately hanging on.
But Shanks is a big match competitor and understands that tactics form a crucial part in road racing.
"You can't just be the strongest," she said. "You have got to be smart as well. Using your energy in the right places is just as important."
Shanks applied pressure with two laps to ride and was confident she had won the race when she led by 50m at the bell.
"I had a wee look and knew that I had a decent gap," she explained. "But I still powered it to the finish line."
Shanks likes the Birch St wharf course because it has a little hill in it and some tight corners.
"I like to support the local races when I can," Shanks said. "I'm not in town a lot but when I'm here it's great to be able to race."
Dunedin's Patrick Jones won his third race of the weekend when he sprinted from 150m out to win the junior men's criterium from Troy Smith (Invercargill).
Wayne Evans (Dunedin) won the category two senior event with his blistering sprint to get in front of Bruce Jenkins (Dunedin) and Blake Tait-Jones (Invercargill).
