UCI Gravel World Series – Brendan Johnston, Justine Barrow conquer climbs of Nannup

Brendan Johnston (Giant) continued his roll at SEVEN in Nannup, Western Australia on Saturday including victory on the UCI Gravel World Series elite males’s race to his mountain bike win of final weekend on the AusCycling Marathon National Championships. In the elite girls’s race reigning nationwide gravel champion Justine Barrow capitalised on the climb heavy course to take out the elite girls’s title, delivering a transparent indicator of simply how far her kind rebuild had come after a tough shoulder damage restoration.

The winners, who have been each making their debut on the occasion with 3,200m of vertical ascent over a 125km course, crossed the road solo shedding the home-state second-placed riders, Mark Chong and Cassia Boglio (Liv Brazilian Butterfly Racing p/b Willing & Twin Peaks). Annabel Fisher was third forward of Peta Mullens (Liv Brazilian Butterfly).

Brendon Davids got here third within the elite males’s race, regardless of having to select himself up off the gravel after a crash, whereas Oliver Stenning (Blackshaw Racing) got here fourth forward of Nicolas Roche. Last 12 months’s winner, Tasman Nankervis (BMC-Shimano), misplaced his probability to defend the title early when he suffered from an early flat however then chased again to take twelfth.

“SEVEN Gravel was brutal,” mentioned winner Johnston in an Instagram post, with the rider in the course of a quick return to his house nation within the midst of his Life Time Grand Prix commitments. “I made the distinction within the closing 30km of the robust circuit. So stoked to complete this 4 week race block throughout 2 nations and 4 states with one other win. 

“Would be good to say I used to be heading house now for a few weeks relaxation nonetheless these legs must log some kilometres forward of Unbound in 3 brief weeks!”

Around 1500 riders lined up in Nannup – greater than the inhabitants of the small city itself – to pattern the terrain that may play host to the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2026. While the rain settled the mud on the roads the day earlier than the occasion, the clouds cleared in time for the beginning at 7a.m, with riders heading out for the 125km occasion by pine plantations, state forests and farmland for something from the 4 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds it took for winner Johnston to the ten hour minimize off.

Nannup is one in all two UCI Gravel World Series occasions in Australia, with Gravelista in Beechworth in October of 2023 one of many first races that riders might use to qualify for the 2024 Gravel World Championships in Belgium. Australian gravel champion Connor Sens and Courtney Sherwell claimed the victories on the Beechworth spherical.

The Western Australian race can be one in all two rounds on the earth sequence this weekend, with one other subject which is packed to capability lining up for 3Rides in Germany on Sunday, with riders anticipated to begin together with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Greg van Avermaet, Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Sanne Cant (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Ivar Slik (Wilier Triestina Factory).

More to come back …