Australian National CX Championships 2024: Elite Men’s Preview
The biggest race in Australian cyclo-cross is taking place this Saturday in the Victorian town of Ballarat - the AusCycling National Cyclo-cross Championships.
We’ve already previewed the race course and the weather forecast, so now it’s time to dive into some of the contenders for the Elite Men’s national championship.
The Champion - Chris Aitken (NSW/MAAP Sixpence CX)
Elite CX national championship participations: 6
Previous highest finish: Champion (2023)
The reigning Elite Men’s champion in cyclocross is the bespectacled Chris Aitken, of MAAP Sixpence CX. The 30 year-old won the U23 national championship in 2015, but had to wait another eight years before he got the big win in the Elite race on this course last year. In the intervening years he represented Australia at the world championships twice and won a pair of overall CX National Series (CXNS) titles.
The man from Newcastle had a little less success in the green and gold than he might have liked, as his highest finish at the CXNS this year has been fourth. That said, he did beat Nick Smith and his teammate Garry Millburn to win the NSW/ACT state championships three weeks ago, and his previous success on this course should inspire confidence.
He’s finished on the podium at all six Elite national championships he’s contested, and we expect him to be in the mix again on Saturday.
Chris Aitken powers down a straight at Round 5 of the 2024 National Cyclo-cross Series in Sydney.
Photo: CX Down Under
Chris Aitken leads teammate Garry Millburn through a dusty corner at round 2 of the 2024 CXNS in Adelaide.
Photo: CX Down Under
The national champion gets a little loose at round 5 of the 2024 CX National Series in Sydney.
Photo: CX Down Under
The Challenger - Tristan Nash (WA/Midland Cycle Club)
Elite CX national championship participations: 0
Previous highest finish: U23 champion (2023)
Tristan Nash has been the dominant rider at the CXNS this year, winning five of the six rounds of the series and wrapping up up the overall series title before the National Championships are even contested.
He first rode on the Ballarat course in 2022, gaining an early lead over a stacked field before running out of gas late in the race and finishing second to a charging Garry Millburn.
His first European campaign at the end of 2022 gave him plenty of experience in heavy, muddy conditions, and he represented Australia at the U23 World Championships in the Dutch city of Hoogerheide in 2023, finishing on the lead lap at his first attempt.
He returned to Australia last year a changed rider, winning the two rounds of the CXNS in his native Perth, before winning the U23 title on this Ballarat course in convincing fashion.
Even though he’s still eligible to compete as a U23 he’s passed over that opportunity in 2024 for a shot at the Elite title.
He won the WA state title two weeks ago, and will be the main favourite heading into this weekend - and some commenters are very confident!
U23 national champion Tristan Nash goes on the attack at round 3 of the CX National Series in Brisbane.
Photo: CX Down Under
It was easy to spot Tristan Nash’s lines on the way to victory at round 2 of the 2024 CXNS in Adelaide.
Photo: CX Down Under
Hailing from Western Australia means Tristan Nash is more than comfortable in sandy conditions.
Photo: CX Down Under
The smokey - Nick Smith (NSW/Duke Flanders Racing)
Elite CX national championship participations: 3
Previous highest finish: 2nd (2023)
Hailing from the Southern Highlands of NSW, Nick Smith is one of the longest-standing members of the Aussie cyclocross community.
Nicknamed ‘The Silent Assassin’ for his quiet demeanour, he’s represented Australia at the world championships five times at U19 and U23 level in the past, including multiple lead-lap finishes. He particularly excelled on the slower, heavier courses often found in Europe, which should stand him in good stead for the likely mud-fest that awaits him in Ballarat.
Last year he finished second at the National Championships after leading for multiple laps - his best result at a National level all season.
In 2024 he’s reached new heights in his cross career. He’s the only rider to have beaten Tristan Nash at the CX National Series this year, taking his first ever National Series win at Round 4 of the Series in Brisbane. The 27 year-old has been consistent throughout the other rounds of the Series as well, and currently sits second in the overall series standings.
If you need any further evidence that he loves cyclocross, his most recent win came two weeks ago at Dirty Deeds CX in Melbourne - a race that he spent a combined eighteen hours on trains to attend!
He’s never won an Australian championship at any age level, but would be an extremely popular winner should he triumph this weekend.
Nick Smith lays down the watts in the opening round of the 2024 CXNS in Adelaide.
Photo: CX Down Under
Nick Smith kicks up some sand at round 5 of the 2024 CXNS at Heffron Park in Sydney.
Photo: CX Down Under
Nick Smith’s first win at the CXNS was a long time in the making. Can he repeat the dose in Ballarat?
Photo: CX Down Under
Others to watch
Dom Paolilli (VIC/Duke Flanders Racing) - has nabbed a couple of second places at the CXNS this year in races where he’s gotten a good start. Could spring a surprise on his best day.
Garry Millburn (VIC/MAAP Sixpence CX) - the elder statesman of the Men’s Elite field, having represented Australia five times at the World Championships, including in the Elite Men’s race in 2024. Excels in heavy conditions, so he’ll be hoping the course will be as muddy as possible.
Cam Ivory (TAS/Cervélo Australia Off Road) - the 2024 national champion for XCO MTB mainly races with flat bars these days., but the Tasmanian is no stranger to cyclocross. He won Australia’s inaugural U23 Men’s championship way back in 2013, as well as the Tasmanian state championship in Hobart last weekend.
Max Hobson (QLD/Team BridgeLane) - A multidisciplinary rider with a lot of potential, the Queenslander has had the best season of his career in 2024. This has included a Queensland state CX championship, two second place finishes at the CXNS and a National Road Series stage win at the Tour of Tasmania. Like Tristan Nash, he’s young enough to race in U23s, but has signed up for a crack at the big cheese instead. Might be better suited to drier course conditions than Ballarat will offer.
The race will be starting at 2:20pm AEST on Saturday August 17th in Ballarat. The race won’t be televised, but you can follow all the action by following CX Down Under on Facebook and Instagram - we’ll be doing our best to document all the highs and lows of the day!
Who’s your tip to be Australia’s Elite Men’s CX National Champion in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!