For Luke Deasey last year's national road championships were a defining moment in his young career.
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Arriving at Ballarat a rising talent looking to test himself on the national stage, the Tamworth teenager returned with a bronze medal, the sprinters jersey, a host of strong results and an enhanced reputation.
Now he is ready to do it all again.
Already down in Ballarat preparing, the 18-year old begins his road nats campaign on Wednesday with the time trial, and can't wait.
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Racing is the part he loves the most, and makes the rest worthwhile.
On the back of a strong finish to the year - he won road racing gold, time trial silver, and hillclimb silver at state championships before in December taking out the feature race at the Tamworth Track Open - and good "numbers" in training Deasey said he is "feeling good" heading into what will be three days of tough racing.
"[I'm] feeling excited and pumped just to get the new season going," he said.
It will be a bit of a baptism of fire with Deasey only recently stepping out from the shadows of the juniors into the under-23s.
But he is drawing confidence from his performance last year.
"It gives me confidence because you know you can mix it with the best of the best for your age group. But then you might not be quite at the level of the best of the best in your new age group but you know that you can still have the potential to be up there," he said.
Racing against riders in some instances three years older than him, he isn't going in with any expectations. Not that he ever does with the fickle nature of racing.
"Racing, anything can happen; you could get a flat tyre or a crash, so I just sort of want to go in, get some good experience, build and see how we go," Deasey said.
"A result would would be nice. I've got good form so just got to see what I can do with it."
Of the three events (time trial, criterium and road race) he has probably been focusing more on the time trial.
"I'd like to ride a good time trial. It would be nice to get a good result in that," he said.
Last year he finished 10th.
It would set him up well for the week with the criterium to follow on Friday and the road race on Sunday.
The nationals will be the start of a big couple of weeks in Deasey's development.
The following weekend he will make his National Road Series debut with his Rauland's team in the time-honoured Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic.
Fellow Tamworth Cycle Club member Sam Hill is also down in Ballarat and is Deasey's 'roomie'.
