She's now achieved that dream far sooner than she imagined after taking on some of the most iconic routes in the country last week.

The event may have looked a little different in 2021 - COVID forced a number of adjustments including a chance of name to the Festival of Cycling - but there's no getting away from the magnitude of Fuller's achievements.

The Dubbo Cycle Club star, at just 17 years of age, was the youngest rider in the field loaded with World Tour riders and Olympians and was the only competitor in the under 19 category.

Fuller, riding for the Sydney Uni Staminade team, proved age is just a number across the four stages of racing and proved her quality in the festival's final event, where she finished eighth overall in the women's criterium event.

"It was so different to all the other races I've done," Fuller, the current under 19 national road champion, said.

"Since it was my first big race it was good to get my name out there."

While the whole experience was special - from the racing to the events being televised and a police escort at the front of the field - the result on the final day stood out.

"I was happy with my performance in the crit. I wanted to finish top 10 and I got eighth and I was able to help my team," she said.

"One of my teammates was at the back and I was able to drop back and bring her forward and she finished seventh."

Another highlight was being part of the first women's field to take on the famed Willunga climb.

"It was a test of the legs," Fuller laughed.

At one point in the lead-up to the Festival of Cycling it appeared border closures would stop the Sydney Uni team from competing.

And while riders and team members from Sydney were not permitted to travel to Adelaide it opened the doors for the likes of Fuller, based outside the state capital, to take part.

Fuller flew in from Canberra only three days before the tour and was straight into preparing for the first stage, an 80km effort through the Adelaide hills which was contested in heat wave conditions.

Training around Wellington's Mt Arthur benefited Fuller as she finished in the main group and provided vital assistance to her teammate Nicole Frain, ensuring she had the food and water on hand to help her go on to finish third overall.

A 98km trip followed in stage two and it was more of the same before the famed Willunga Hill arrived in stage three.

The men's race was taken out by national star and Olympian Richie Porte for the seventh time while Fuller again more than held her own in the women's event and was able to finish ahead of the likes of World Tour professional riders Sarah Roy and Loretta Hanson.

The one-hour criterium around the 1km Victoria Park circuit arrived at the final stage of the carnival and that's where Fuller gave the latest showcase of her exciting potential.

The entire Australian women's Olympic team pursuit team was at the front of the field but Fuller still managed to earn a first top 10 finish among World Tour professionals.

"I've looked up to them so to race them you realise how good they are and how strong the quality is. That was pretty cool," she said.

Fuller arrived back home on Monday but there's little time to rest.

Next week the national champion will look to defend her crown in the under 19s at the national road titles in Ballarat.