SHE has already impressed against some of Australia's leading female criterium riders this year, but can Emily Watts make it three consecutive podiums in that event come the Cycling Australia Road Nationals?
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This Friday Watts, a graduate of the Western Region Academy of Sport and former Bathurst Cycling Club member, will form part of the combined under 23s-elite women's field which tackles the 40-lap criterium at the Ballarat hosted nationals.
She will be hoping to add to the under 19s criterium bronze she won at her nationals debut in 2018 and the silver she won 12 months ago as a first-year under 23s rider.
Watts will face stiff competition, but her performances at the three-round Blackburn Bay Cycling Classic for her new Subaru Giant Racing Team show she in good touch.
Riding in the elite women's races for the criterium series, Watts placed 13th in last Friday evening's opening stage at Geelong's Ritchie Boulevard. She was 32 seconds down on victor Amanda Spratt - an Australian representative.
It got even better after that.
Watts placed eighth in stage two at Eastern Gardens behind Chloe Hoskings and 10th in Sunday's finale at Wiliamstown. It saw her rank 12th on the overall general classification.
"Completed my first race with my new Subaru Giant team, scoring two top 10 results and coming just outside the top 10 overall," Watts posted on Facebook.
"With so many process goals reached and shaping a new team culture can't wait for the rest of the year."
Bathurst-based duo and Oliver's Real Food Racing team-mates Will Hodges and Tom Bolton contested the elite men's Bay Classic races.
Hodges impressed with a 16th in the first stage while Bolton ranked eighth on Saturday and 10th at Williamstown to end up 12th in the final general classification.
That pair are expected to compete at nationals as well.
