Matt Baugher is going to the state capital in search of another title.

Baugher, a St. Joseph cyclist, will try to lengthen a string of victories on Sunday in the Missouri State Championship Time Trials in Jefferson City.

Baugher, who has been a local resident for about 1 1/2 years, already picked up the Missouri State Road Race Championship in May while competing in Category 4. Now moved up to Category 3 based on his experience and performances, the 139th Airlift Wing officer hopes to fly through the 40-kilometer course toward another championship.

“I feel pretty strong coming into the event,” said Baugher, who conceded he has a slight disadvantage. “I’m not a very big guy, and usually the big, really strong riders do better on flat time trials. And it’s dead flat, right along the river.”

Nevertheless, the local cyclist has built an impressive 2008 record in his fourth season in USA Cycling events. During a particularly productive April he won the Joseph Sheehan Road Race (in Category 4) in Leavenworth, Kan., and took the overall points title (time trial and race combined) in the Tour of Hermann.

On Sunday he won’t have to worry about strategy. Racers will take off in one-minute intervals in a race strictly against the clock.

“I’ve targeted this event as one of my major goals for this season,” Baugher said. “Then I’ll try to carry my level of fitness through the Tour of Kansas City, a series of three races on Aug. 8, 9 and 10.”

Baugher, 34, a member of the Kansas City-based Epic Cycling team, said he hopes to post a time under 55 minutes on Sunday.

“That would put me probably somewhere in the top five,” Baugher said.

Baugher will be among those involved in the USA Cycling-sanctioned team time trials and road race that will be held in St. Joseph during the weekend preceding the Tour of Missouri professional event, which begins here on Sept. 8.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be reached at rickd@npgco.com