U19 WOMEN'S TIME TRIAL

Donning bandages following the dramatic end to Saturday’s road race, young gun Francesca Sewell (Gold Coast Cycling Club) nabbed her second gold of the 2019 Championships in the under 19 time trial. Her TT gold medal caps off an almost flawless Road Nationals campaign, claiming bronze in the criterium and gold in the road race.

Sewell covered the 15.9km out and back course in Buninyong in a time 23mins 34secs, 19 seconds better than Catelyn Turner (Launceston City CC) and more than one minute ahead of Katarina Chung-Orr (Port Adelaide CC) who completed the podium.

Francesca Sewell
“I’m really stoked. I’m feeling good, a little tired now but it has been a tough weekend.
“I didn’t actually know that I was on a good time during the race, but my coaches were in the car behind me honking the horn, encouraging me. I certainly wasn’t expecting to get the time I did.
“It wasn’t my ideal win on Saturday obviously so, today, I feel like I definitely did it myself.”

 U19 MENS TIME TRIAL
Two days after winning gold in the road race, Patrick Eddy (InForm TM Insight MAKE) continued his fine form with gold in the under 19 men’s time trial in Buninyong.
16-year-old Eddy clocked a time of 29mins 54secs across the 21.km course, eleven seconds ahead of Harry Morgan (Blackburn Cycling Club), and twenty seconds ahead of James Moriarty (Balmoral Cycle Club).
The win comes three months after claiming the prized position on the podium in the criterium and time trial at the Under 17 National Championships in September.
Patrick's brother Samual backed up his road race silver with a fourth-place time trial result, proving 2018 is looking bright for the Eddy family.

 Patrick Eddy:
“I went really deep, and I’m just happy to come out with the win and do the double.
“I knew I had great form but, I came here as a bottom-ager and did not expect to get two gold. I think that’s a bit much. I was really looking for one podium. I just can’t believe I have two gold.

“There’s no chance I’d be here today without my brother Sam. He wakes me up every morning to go train. He just motivates me so much. We’re teammates, we’re best mates, and we’re brothers. I’m really grateful to have him.”

In one of the most dramatic final laps seen at a National Championships, 2017 National Road Series champion Michael Freiberg (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) triumphed to claim the elite men’s road crown.

A prominent early breakaway group opened the always hectic 185.6-kilometre men’s road race, with Freiberg, Chris Harper (Team BridgeLane) and defending champion Alex Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott) joining 2013 champion Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott).
The quartet worked together for the majority of the 16 laps of the infamous Buninyong course before Cameron Meyer (Mitchelton-Scott) made a move with Conor Murtagh (Oliver’s Real Food Racing) and Jason Lea (Team BridgeLane) to join the leading group with five laps remaining.

With the pace of the race obliterating the field and scattering groups across the course, Edmondson and Durbridge lost contact with the front group and Harper pounced to take a ten-second inside the penultimate lap.

Meyer and Freiberg reeled in Harper on the final lap, before an immediate counter-attack from Harper was answered by Meyer. Freiberg’s chance of a podium finish looking all but over when he trailed Harper and Meyer by 17-seconds just four kilometres from the finish line.

But in a determined act of raw power and tactical nous, the Perth cyclist caught the breakaway inside the final kilometre to claim a victory for the ages in the dying moments.

While the excitement of Freiberg’s victory rang through the crowd, there was an undertone of emotion for the remainder of the podium with Harper just missing the top step for a second straight year, while the dual time trial champion Meyer is left searching for the elusive crown.

Freiberg also collected the Langdon Building Sprint Competition jersey on his back, with Harper taking in both the Altus Traffic Most Aggressive Rider and Stages King of the Mountain categories.

Michael Freiberg
“It’s been surreal. Down the home straight coming up on the boys, I didn’t really expect it and then I hit them with a bit of speed and I got a gap and I was like ‘Oh I’m going to have to go really deep here…I know how quick Cam is’ and I got a gap and I held it.

“The jersey’s so big, you get to wear it for twelve months. On the last lap, I was just hoping for a podium. That would have been fantastic for myself, to keep me going in my career, but catching them on that last straight was something really special.”

“It’s the ones you have to fight the hardest for that mean the most and I think it’s been about eight or 10 years since I have been up on the podium at the world level, so this is really special for me.”

Chris Harper
“It’s bittersweet. Everyone here, you’re coming here to win the jersey and second place is almost… It’s nothing to you really. Everyone wants the green and gold so it’s nice to be on the podium but at the end of the day, we’re all out here trying to get that jersey. So it is bittersweet.”

“When we got rid of Freiberg on the climb, I sort of thought me and Cam, depending on how Frieberg went, I knew Cam given his track background had quite a good kick on him. Coming into the finish I wasn’t confident. I sort of tried to put him on the front to try to give myself every opportunity. Freibs came back, didn’t give up so all credit to him. That’s an amazing ride.”

“I wasn’t thinking of attacking (in the sprint), I don’t think I would’ve been able to get rid of Cam. He was riding super strong all day so more just trying to conserve and give 100% in the finish.”
“We knew Freiburg wasn’t too far behind. I think he caught us both by surprise a little bit just with that momentum.”

Cameron Meyer
“I’m going to try to not cry too much. I think I’ve been every position bar first. I had every opportunity and I don’t know if I’m more upset at myself or letting my teammates down a little bit. I bluffed a little bit in the final there, I knew the legs had one kick in them and Freiberg went early and I was hoping he wouldn’t. When he was coming I tried to play the bluff on Harper and I had to get to as close to the line as I could with one kick and it was too much for my legs today. It’s all a bit much at the moment.”

“I knew he (Freiberg) was going to ride tempo, I knew he didn’t have the acceleration on that last lap. He was at 20 seconds and I knew he’d keep plugging away. He’s a big boy and you get that roll coming down the home straight and I’ve seen guys come back in that final if you fox too much. The problem is I didn’t have anything to really push to the line so I had to play cat and mouse. It didn’t work.”

“It’s hard to accept for me. Like I’ve been on the podium before so I’ve been wanting that green and gold for a long time. I know it’s a good ride and it’ll take a while that to settle in. It was a big day, you can see by the way the field finished, in dribs and drabs everywhere. It was a tough day out there.”
“Hopefully my twelfth time lucky next year.”

Fresh from claiming second overall in the 2018 National Road Series, Ballarat ‘s rising star Nicholas White (Team BridgeLane) has kick-started the new year with gold in front of a parochial home crowd in the Under 23 Men’s 127.6-kilometre Buninyong Road Race.

“I couldn’t think of anything better, to be able to do this in my hometown is something else and to have all the supporters there as well,” said White. “I was getting the shakes going around the last lap with everyone yelling out my name was a pretty surreal feeling and it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

The under 23 road race is famous for non-stop action and the 2019 finale delivered with a battle to remember with White taking the top step after an enthralling final lap ahead of Michael Potter (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) and 2017 champion Samuel Jenner (Team Wiggins Le Col).

A dozen breakaway groups that formed and collapsed throughout the 11 lap-race, however, the decisive one came at the final climb when Jenner and White pulled off a strong move leaving Potter with no option but to join.

With a short and ever-reducing gap, a passionate home crowd anxiously watched on as White, Potter, and Jenner played cat and mouse to the backdrop of a hungry and fast approaching peloton.

Dylan McKenna was in the mix for many of the day’s moves, meaning the X-Speed United rider more than earned his Altus Traffic Most Aggressive Rider and Stages King of the Mountain jerseys.

The Langdon Building Sprint Jersey was won by Nick White.

“I had the whole team riding the front for me and they made an unreal effort to get me around and even coming down to the bell lap when I had four guys with me, I knew I was definitely in with a chance and it was starting to feel like this could be a reality and this could be mine,” added White.

“The last time over the climb was super hard but after all the effort the boys put in I knew I needed to be up to the front with those two guys so to be able to give them a reward and to win this is pretty special”

​

​Cycling Australia, in partnership with SBS and FOX SPORTS, is excited to announce a 2019 FedUni Road Nationals Championships broadcast schedule.

The live online coverage will explode on SBS digital channels on Friday evening with all the thrills and spills of both the men’s and women’s criterium from the heart of the Ballarat CBD from 6.30pm.

Super Sunday on 6 January will be featured across both SBS and FOX SPORTS and will launch at 10am with two hours of live coverage of the 105km women’s road race. 

The final three hours of the men’s race will be showcased from 2pm, followed by the presentations to both the 2018 men’s and women’s champions.

An expert commentary team including Matthew Keenan, Sophie Smith, Bridie O’Donnell and David McKenzie will call all the action live from Ballarat. 

The Sunday schedule will also feature a panel show on SBS, hosted by Matthew Keenan and featuring special guests, to recap all the action from the week of RoadNats and feature in depth interviews with Australian cycling greats.

In addition to the broadcast schedule, live streaming coverage will be integrated across digital platforms SBS Cycling Central, SBS On Demand and the FreeView app, in addition to streaming on Foxtel Now and the Foxtel App.

2019 FedUni RoadNats Broadcast Schedule

FRIDAY 4 January

Live Stream - SBS Cycling Central website & SBS Cycling Central Facebook page
5.20pm Elite & U23 Women’s Crit
6.30pm Men’s Crit

SUNDAY 6 January

SBS; Streaming on SBS On Demand & SBS Cycling Central website
10:00am – 12:00pm Elite Women’s Road Race
1:00pm – 2:00pm The FedUni RoadNats Lunchtime Show
2:00pm – 5:30pm Elite Men’s Road Race

FOX SPORTS TV
10:00am – 12:00pm Elite Women’s Road Race 1:00pm – 2:00pm The FedUni RoadNats Lunchtime Show
2:00pm – 5:30pm Elite Men’s Road Race

The 2019 FedUni RoadNats are closing in fast and there will be no shortage of amazing family activities to get up to.

From the MS National Gran Fondo to a full-on festival in De Soza park there is plenty to keep everyone entertained during the action-packed weekend of fun in Ballarat.

To kick us off, the inaugural FedUni Fixed Gear National Championships will take place on Friday 4th at 1pm.

Entries are open to anyone who holds a current Cycling Australia membership and will be held on a modified version of the Sturt St criterium in the Ballarat CBD. This race is fast, furious and fun!

If you want a chance to test out the course prior to the Elite riders being unleashed, then the FREE Let’s Ride Community Cycle is the perfect opportunity. Starting at 1.45pm on Friday the whole town is encouraged to get on their bikes and join in the fun.

Straight after the presentations on Friday you will get the chance to meet Australia’s newest national champions, a great chance to grab an autograph and selfie with the new champions of Aussie cycling.

To finish off a great first day, head down to Mitchell Harris Wines and check out the new Zwift national eChampionships. In this new concept cyclists battle it out on indoor trainer in an online game style race. Get comfy, grab a bottle and enjoy this new spectacle.

On Saturday there will be another chance to get out and ride the same course as the professionals in the MS National Gran Fondo Championship. The 11.6km circuit will see you travel up the iconic Mt Buninyong on fully closed roads, in a race like setup. You will have two hours to warm up the track for the elite men and women while you complete as many laps as possible.

On Saturday afternoon, check out what's on offer around Buninyong at the family festival, there's face painting, a jumping castle, bring a picnic or sample something from a local vendor, just make sure to bring the whole family down to De Soza Park!

There will be a jumping castle as well as face painting for the kids and at the end of the day sit back and watch The Greatest Showman on the big screen at 7pm!

On Sunday, get ready for an action packed day of racing. Watch the iconic Sovereign Hill Red coats at 8.30am send off the women's peloton then head up to the top of the QOM to settle and watch a great day of racing. Up there you'll be greeted with an awesome set up including a bar thanks to the Western Hotel, food vendors, big screen to watch the action as well as pop up sites form FedUni, Science in Sport, TAC and Visit Ballarat. 

First fully sanctioned eSports cycling national championships to take place in Ballarat.
​
Cycling Australia is today pleased to announce the inaugural eRacing Criterium National Championships with Zwift, to be held in conjunction with the 2019 FedUni Road National Championships in Ballarat on Friday 4 January.

Taking place on Zwift, the online gaming platform dedicated to indoor cycling, on the ‘Volcano Circuit’, the 2019 Cycling Australia eRacing Criterium Championship will include both senior men’s and senior women’s races. Both races will take in four laps of the four-kilometre circuit, with hard and fast racing expected from the start gun.

A feature of the Championships will be a special ‘live’ event held at Mitchell Harris Wines in Ballarat immediately following the evening’s elite criteriums. Three invited senior men and three senior women will compete live in the Zwift races on stage.

Cycling Australia CEO Steve Drake Said “We’re looking forward to seeing this event unfold, the atmosphere at Zwift events is always amazing, and coupled with the support of Mitchell Harris Wines, we’re excited to see what this evening holds.”

All Zwifters are eligible to compete in the Championships, however all entrants are required to hold a Cycling Australia Race membership to be eligible to win the title.

Winners will be presented with the Official Cycling Australia green and gold Jersey and Championship medal. These will be presented in a ceremony alongside the elite road race champions at the 2019 FedUni Road National Championships on Sunday 6 January.

“We are investing a lot of energy into racing on Zwift and developing eSports. It’s a big focus right now.” says Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “Historically National Championships are normally something only a select number of elite cyclists can take part in.

“However now with the backing of Cycling Australia, the eRacing National Criterium Championships opens up this competition to any Australian, beginners, Elites and Professionals. This is a big part of what Zwift is about. So why not get out there and earn your stripes!”