Emilie Miller is ken to claim national time trial gold

Twelve months ago after claiming gold in the women’s H1 Cycling Australia Road Nationals Paracycling road race, Miller was too unwell to contest the time trial.

While she went on to win the time trial at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Maniago, Miller has had to wait to call herself a current Australian champion in that discipline.

It is a box she can tick on Monday when she heads off on her 12 kilometre challenge at 10.01am in Ballarat.

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“I was looking back at 2018 and thought ‘Wow, it was probably the biggest year of my life’. I think it’s always great to have great nationals in the first week of January and try to start the year on a good note,” Miller said.

“Unfortunately I didn’t get to do that last year by missing the time trial, so I want to do that this year and have a good crack at it.”

Miller already has yet another national road race champion jersey to add to her collection after conquering a tough 10.2km course on Saturday.

When Miller won gold last year it was on a longer, but easier 12.1km course. Before she was crowned a 2019 champion in a time of one hour, 19 minutes, 29 seconds, she had to complete the climb up Mount Buninyong Road.

“I had such a fun day first time racing in world championships rainbows,” Miller said.

“It was a tough course but I was stoked with my ride and how it all came together.”

Though Miller has an idea of what lies ahead in the time trial, she has not previously raced the course.

“I know the time trial course is really tough, it’s the same course they use for under 19s and the elite women,” she said.

As Miller indicated, she will follow the same route as the elite women’s time trial for the first 6km before reaching the turnaround point.