National champions prevail in round 3 of AusCycling CX National Series
Tom Chapman (Team BridgeLane) powers through one of the course’s harder-packed dirt sections.
Photo: CX Down Under
Reigning national champions Bec Locke and Tom Chapman took victories in round 3 of the AusCycling Cyclocross National Series, held at Gepps Cross in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Rebecca Locke leads Miranda Griffiths over the barriers early in the Elite Women’s race.
Photo: CX Down Under
The weather was warm and sunny, a far cry from the 2022 edition - one of the wettest and most miserable races ever seen in Australia. The circuit was made up of a variety of sections of grassy corners that were surprisingly slippery given the mild conditions, hard-packed dirt straights that allowed riders to pour on the power, and a series of sandy berms in Forester’s Forest that rewarded riders who could hold their lines and keep the power down.
Chris Aitken (MAAP Sixpence CX) leads teammate Garry Millburn, national champion Tom Chapman (Team BridgeLane) and Griffin Knight on the opening lap of the Elite Men’s race.
Photo: CX Down Under
Elite Women
National champion Rebecca Locke was able to hold off a strong challenge from fellow Victorian Miranda Griffiths to take the win in the Elite Women’s race. After spending most of the race with Griffiths closely following her wheel, Locke was able to distance her rival over the barriers on the course’s penultimate lap, eventually winning by 12 seconds. Tilly Field (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) was able to withstand a late challenge from Fiona Morris (MAAP Sixpence CX) to take third place, 2:31 behind Locke.
Australian U23 national champion Talia Simpson (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) rounded out the wide angle podium in fifth.
Speaking after the race, Locke said ‘Miranda kinda hung in there for the majority of the race, but I managed to get away from her in the last lap.’
‘I was trying to force her to come around me, but she just wouldn’t. I knew I was a little faster over the barriers and getting back on the bike, so with a lap to go I managed to attack that section and managed to pull away from there.’
Bec Locke was shadowed by Miranda Griffiths for much of the Elite Women’s race.
Photo: @rideadelaide
Behind them, Tilly Field was alone in third for much of the race, but the Roxsolt Liv SRAM rider wasn’t allowed to ease off in the last lap, as a fast-finishing Fiona Morris was able to close the final gap to just 10 seconds after having started sluggishly.
The race for the final step of the wide angle podium was fiercely contested between three riders, with U23 Women’s national champion Talia Simpson eventually prevailing over her younger sister Anook and Queenslander Alanna van der Hoef (Orbea-SRAM).
The Elite Women’s podium from round 3 of the AusCycling Cyclocross National Series. From L-R: Talia Simpson, Tilly Field, Bec Locke, Miranda Griffiths, Fi Morris.
Photo: @rideadelaide
We interrupt our cyclocross race report to show you this cute dog.
Photo: CX Down Under
Elite Men
Racing in the green and gold of Australian champion for just the second time, Adelaide native Tom Chapman overcame a second-row start to eventually win by 1:45 from his former teammate Chris Aitken (MAAP Sixpence CX).
A fast start on the tarmac of the Super-drome carpark saw Aitken take up front position in the early going ahead of Millburn and youngsters Erik Vetisch and Max Hobson, with Chapman moving up from his second-row start into fifth early in lap one.
The BridgeLane rider began picking off riders one by one over the duration of the next lap and a half, passing Aitken to take the lead just before a grassy climb in front of the Super-dome, then making his attack stick with a combination of sheer power and silky handling skills.
The national champion’s second lap was a scorching 6:39 - the fastest lap of the day by 11 seconds - and it established a lead that would grow over the remainder of the race, eventually reaching 1:45 by the race’s conclusion.
Chris Aitken chases alone through the sandy berms of Forester’s Forest.
Photo: @rideadelaide
Behind them there were two close battles for the remaining steps of the wide angle podium, with Garry Millburn prevailing over Griff Knight to take third, and Nick Smith (Flanders-FMB) passing a fading Max Hobson late in the race to finish fifth.
Nick Smith (Flanders-FMB) leads Finn Kane (Peloton Sports) into a grassy cornering section in the second half of the lap.
Photo: CX Down Under
The Elite Men’s podium for round 3 of the AusCycling Cyclocross National Series. From L-R: Nick Smith, Garry Millburn, Tom Chapman, Chris Aitken, Griffin Knight.
Photo: @rideadelaide
Racing will resume on Sunday on a reversed course. We’ll have all the action here on CX Down Under!