The 30-year-old, who will compete in the road race at Buninyong on Saturday, is hoping she can use the nationals as a platform to bettering her remarkable achievements from last year.

Neylan claimed a silver medal at the 2012 UCI World Championships and a bronze in the nationals.

“Coming second at the Worlds has galvanised my focus. What started me in this sport was an unstoppable desire to represent my country and do Australia proud, and I’m beginning to achieve that dream,” Neylan said.

“For me, 2013 will be about dialling that up a gear. I’ve had my share of literal breaks and falls and now it feels like all this hard work and determination has started to line everything up in my favour.”

Neylan will leave Australia for Italy later this month, where she will be based in Lucca and join her team members (led by Elisa Longo Borghini and including fellow Australian Chloe Hosking) in training before commencing the northern hemisphere’s racing schedule. 

Her time in Europe commences with a training camp in Nice, France, before her first international race for the season; South Africa’s Tour de Free State (February).