TWENTY seven weeks ago Emily Watts rated it a win moment when - while still wearing a brace as she recovered from six fractured vertebrae - she was able to get into a time trial position for training without pain.
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On Wednesday at Ballarat she had an even bigger win moment.
The smile on the face of the Bathurst Cycling Club and Western Region Academy of Sport graduate as she stood on the under 23s time trial podium at the Cycling Australia Road Nationals as a bronze medallist said so much.
It was not just a smile of someone who had produced an impressive effort against some of Australia's best female cyclists, but someone who had worked extraordinarily hard along the way to get there and had discovered the true meaning of support.
"What a journey," Watts posted on Facebook.
"Thank you to everyone for your support over the last nine months, it might have been a like, a message, a hug, no matter what it was it all counted, today I raced with all of you. Thank you all for racing with me."
It was during a training camp at Bright last April that Watts crashed, but not long after, even as she lay in hospital bed, she gave herself the goal of being ready to compete at the 2020 Road Nationals.
As it turns out she not only made it to Ballarat, but marked her third appearance at the event by picking up her first time trial medal as she rode for the newly formed Subaru Giant women's team.
In 2018 on debut as an under 19s rider she placed 12th in the time trial, while last year when stepping up to under 23s level - a move which saw her included in the same peloton as the elite women - Watts skipped the time trial.
But this year Watts entered in the time trial, criterium and road race and began her campaign in style.
Taking on the 28.6 kilometre course - two laps of a 14.4km course which included two climbs - Watts clocked a 46 minutes, 49.78 seconds effort.
It saw her place 13th outright in the combined elite-under 23s time trial field of 24 riders, while she was the third fastest of those in her category to snare the bronze medal.
"This is just like the cherry on top, so I am really, really stoked," Watts said. "Definitely a boost, so keen [for other events]."
The outright and under 23s honour went to Sarah Gigante (42:41.82) as she averaged 40.2km/hr for the course. The under 23s silver was claimed by Jaime Gunning (45:02.41).
"I am absolutely stoked, the time trial is always the race of truths, I just came hoping to come out here and give it my best shot," Gigante said.
Meanwhile, Bathurst resident David Nicholas won the Para-cycling men's C3 category time trial for an impressive ninth straight year.
He finished 67.1 seconds clear of his nearest rival as he clocked a 39:16.86 for the 15.8km course, averaging 36 kilometres an hour.
Emilie Miller had been hoping to add a time trial gold to her already impressive haul of Para-cycling medals as well, but the H1 handcycling star crashed on course an did not finish.
Fortunately she only sustained scratches in the incident.
