SHE might joke she is racing for survival, but when Emily Watts lines up against Australia’s leading females at the Cycling Australia Road Nationals she will be determined to do more than just that.
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The Lithgow sportsperson and Western Region Academy of Sport graduate will represent her Sydney University-Staminade team in what will be her second campaign at the annual event in Ballarat.
Last year Watts made her debut at the Road Nationals, competing in the under 19s division. She placed fifth in the road race and ranked third in the sprint classification for that event, claimed bronze in the criterium and came 12th in the time trial.
But this year will see Watts step up to under 23s which not only means facing greater distances, but riding in the same peloton as the elite women.
Some of those riders are professionals.
“I have a lot of confidence coming in because it is the same course as last year, but being under 23s and racing in with the elites is going to be a massive step for me. So for me it's just going to be a race of survival,” Watts laughed.
“Seeing the international girls from Mitchelton-Scott will definitely be a shock, so it will be trying to stay on those wheels and reading their tactics, because you know they’ll be racing for someone.
READ MORE: National criterium bronze for Watts
“You just have to know which attacks to get on and which attacks to just let go.”
As one of six Sydney Uni riders, Watts will tackle the 44 kilometre criterium on Friday before lining up in Sunday’s 104.4km road race.
She would have loved to contest Tuesday’s time trial as well, but her looming debut in the Tour Down Under meant it was not feasible.
“Because the time trial is so late I’m not doing it, l would really love to do it, but I’m only going to do the crit and the road race before heading off to the Tour Down Under,” she said.
“If you were to do the time trial, it would literally be the next day you start TDU.”
Though Watts is under no illusions how tough the two events she will contest will be – the road race including racing the gruelling Mount Buninyong climb four times – having spent last season competing in the National Road Series will help her cause. Her aim is to rank top five in her age group.
“It’s going to be a much bigger group than what I am used to, but I think because I did the NRS, I’m a lot more confident now in the big group,” she said.
“Tactics will just be not sitting on the front, because there are so many other girls who can do that for you, and just pacing yourself basically.
“Within the under 23s field I have set myself the goal of trying to finish in the top five in both races.
“That’s coming from not knowing how the dynamics are going to be, I’ve not seen who is going to be racing.”
Friday’s criterium, which is 40 laps of a 1.1km course will start at 5.20pm, while the road race commences at 8.30am Sunday morning.
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