AMANDA Spratt burst into tears as the realisation of being the new national road race champion sunk in.
And no wonder considering there were times when reaching these heights looked like they might have passed her bye.
She spent 2008 and 2009 out of the sport while recovering from hip surgery.
Before the operation, pain was a constant companion on the bike.
Spratt from New South Wales said she was crying as she crossed the finish line, knowing family had made the trip to see her in action.
The diminutive 24-year-old rode solo to become the new elite women’s titleholder in the Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships at Buninyong on Saturday.
Spratt simply outclassed her rivals as she claimed the biggest prize so far by a rampaging GreenEDGE-AIS team.
She won by 45 seconds from team-mate Tiffany Cromwell, who outsprinted Rachel Neylan for second.
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