While Watts only made her National Road Series debut last year and balances her cycling with school work, many of those she rode against in the 113 kilometre Australia Day event were full-time professionals.

But Watts stuck with the lead bunch until the final 15 kilometres – when they hit the leg-burning Challambra Crescent Climb – and the Bathurst Cycling Club graduate went on to place 36^th in a field of 90.

She sprinted across the line a tick over two minutes after Astana rider Arlenis Sierra (three hours, seven minutes, 10 seconds) had claimed victory.

“I was really happy with it,” Watts said.

“I was very surprised. I did want to give it my all knowing it was my last big race in January – to get such a result was really amazing.”

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Representing Sydney Uni-Velo in the race which took riders on a loop from Geelong through Barwon Heads and Torquay and back to Geelong, Watts spent a bulk of the race near the head of the peloton.

She actually sat on the front with around 52km to go and when star Australian team Mitchelton Scott came to the front to up the tempo and split the field apart in a slight cross-wind, Watts stuck with them.

She was determined to help team-mate Jess Pratt.

“I went over the first QOM [Queen of the Mountain] and I was like, 'My legs feel amazing and I’m up in the topish area of the peloton, wow, it’s going to be a good day’,” Watts said.

“I helped bring Jess up when Mitchelton Scott were on front. It was like on a hill when they upped the pace, so yeah, it was hard.

“I knew that I had to fulfil that job that the team had been pursuing for the last 80 kays.

“I felt alright when I got to Challambra, but then the pace went on and it strung out the bunch. I was like ‘Nup, this is where I leave’.”

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Watts did her best to help Pratt up the climb – a 900 ascent which featured a 99 metres elevation change – and then worked her way towards the sprint finish.

Those alongside her as the finish line loomed included 2018 victor Chloe Hosking.

“I was with a group of four and we were just like tapping away and I was happy being in that four group. But then a group from behind came and joined us,” she said. “Chloe was in that group and I thought ‘damn it’. I was sitting behind another under 23s rider that I wanted to beat and she’s a good sprinter, but I didn’t quite get around her.”

Watts will now “chill a bit” but with more racing to come in 2019 – the Oceania titles her next big assignment – she will spent plenty more time in the saddle.