The Australian national championships, whilst not the official start of the 2025 season, often take up the first spot of races in the new year. That’s no different for 2025, with a host of national titles to be decided between 8th and 12th January 2025. It’s the ideal time to hold them as not long afterwards, the European season gets underway and Aussie riders will have to leave home to return to a calendar of largely European-based racing.
There will be chances for new riders to earn themselves the green and gold stripes this year. Grace Brown has retired after her amazing success in 2024 and Sarah Gigante is out for a while from off-season surgery, meaning that no previous winner of the time trial title will be present.
The script has also been flipped by the move of the national championships from its perennial home in Ballarat on Mount Buninyong clear across the country to Perth. A 13.6km circuit has been created for the road race, centred on King’s Park and the Swan River. Whilst King’s Park is on a sort of cliff overlooking the river, the route up to the highest summit will be short and only slightly punchy at best, so we’re probably going to see an attritional sprint rather than something for climbers to get excited about.
Photo Credit: AusCycling2025 Australian National Championships Route – Time Trial
Thursday 9th January
Women’s race: 28.8km
Men’s race: 38.4km
2025 Australian National Championships Route – Criterium
Friday 10th January
Women’s race: 50mins + 2 laps
Men’s race: 60mins + 2 laps
2025 Australian National Championships Route – Road Race
Sunday 12th January
Women’s race: 109km
Men’s race: 177km
Key Riders to Watch at the 2025 Australian National Championships
Time Trial
Women:
- Sarah Roy (EF Education Oatly)
- Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco)
- Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)
- Emily Watts (St Michel Preference Home Auber93)
- Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl Trek) U23
- Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team) U23
- Haylee Fuller (Praties Cycling Team) U23
Men:
- Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)
- Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Luke Durbridge (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Chris Harper (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Kelland O’Brien (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Wil Holmes (Hagens Berman Jayco) U23
Criterium
Women:
- Alex Manly (AG Insurance-Soudal)
- Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek)
- Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv Jayco Alula)
- Maeve Plouffe (Hess Cycling Team)
- Sarah Roy (EF Education Oatly)
- Lucinda Stewart (Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team) U23
- Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team) U23
- Zoe Davison (Swan Drafting Cycle Club) U23
Men:
- Sam Welsford (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe)
- Kelland O’Brien (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Liam Walsh (CCACHE x BODYWRAP)
- Blake Quick (Roojai insurance)
- Dylan Hopkins (Roojai insurance)
Road Race
Women:
- Alex Manly (AG Insurance-Soudal)
- Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek)
- Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon SRAM zondazrypto)
- Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv Jayco Alula)
- Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)
- Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl Trek) U23
- Savannah Coupland (Cycling Development Foundation) U23
- Emma Ochoa (Praties Cycling Team) U23
- Lucinda Stewart (Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team) U23
Men:
- Sam Welsford (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe)
- Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)
- Jai Hindley (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe)
- Kelland O’Brien (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Liam Walsh (CCACHE x BODYWRAP)
- Elliott Schultz (Victoire Hiroshima)
