Racing for the bag of potatoes, a homemade vest and a national title

Gravel racing awards aren’t exactly known for being conventional and Tasmania’s Devils Cardigan is no exception. Forget the shiny trophy with the last winner’s name proudly engraved on a plaque, which won’t keep you warm as the post-race festivities continue through the cold Tasmanian winter night – the woolly vest with each winner’s name sewn onto it So will are, and the bag of potatoes the rider gets on the top step of the podium will fuel many more rides.

Yet a second year of hosting the Australian Gravel National Championships means the unconventional prizes will once again be accompanied by one of the most traditional and coveted prizes in all cycling disciplines: the title of National Champion.

It should be an especially hard-fought battle at this year’s race in the northeastern part of the island state to see who gets to ride in the green and gold jersey, long after the vest has been mothballed and the potatoes have been mashed. , fried or roasted. Both of last year’s winners, Connor Sens and Justine Barrow, will be back on the line in Derby, along with a stream of other riders returning from gravel racing in the United States, including 2022 Australian title winner Brendan Johnston.

This includes a strong competitor in Courtney Sherwell, who not only has an impressive list of Australian gravel wins to his name – including the Dirty Warrny, the Beechworth UCI Gravel World Series round and Sutton Grange Gravel – but also a number of second places in the world rankings. Belgian Waffle Ride which earned her a net second overall in the Tripel Crown. The Bendigo rider also claimed the national title at the Australian Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships earlier this year.

Sherwell may be one of the top favorites alongside defending champion Barrow – who claimed victory in both the SEVEN UCI Gravel World Series round in Nannup, Western Australia and Gravel Locos in the United States last month – but there are plenty of others who are also a be able to win challenge. Among them is Western Australian Cassia Boglio, who claimed victory at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic and finished second to Barrow at SEVEN. Izzy Flint, who finished second to Sherwell at the national marathon championships, was also able to make a mark.

Sens will also have his work cut out for him as the Bendigo rider looks to defend his title in the men’s race. Johnston is among the top challengers, with the Canberran now building momentum as he settles into his second season of the Life Time Grand Prix, having finished seventh last year and currently sits fifth on the standings. Johnston has had a strong start to the season, also taking victory at the Nannup Gravel World Series event and claiming a sixth national mountain bike marathon title.

Then there’s a long list of other potential rivals, from 2022 Devils Cardigan winner Tasman Nankervis, who won the inaugural edition of RADL GRVL in January, to Adam Blazevic who entered the gravel scene with multiple UCI Gravel World Series race wins in 2022 . and Sutton Grange Gravel winner Mark O’Brien, who also claimed the prestigious Melbourne to Warrnambool race this year.

Last year’s second-placed rider, Alex Lack, has also clearly shown what a threat he can be on this course, as has third-placed Scott Bowden. Add to that Tali Lane-Welsh, who came second at Sutton Grange and won the Otway Odyssey on mountain bike. The list grows with former WorldTour road racer Nathan Earle now racing for JCL Team UKYO and winning Devils Cardigan in 2021, national cyclo-cross champion Chris Aitken and national XCO mountain bike champion Cameron Ivory.

The many experienced riders from all disciplines may make it difficult to pick a winner, but the depth of the field and track conditions mean it should certainly be a hard-fought and fast edition of the race.

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Racing for the bag of potatoes, a homemade vest and a national title

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