Champions conquer Loxton Kicker in Masters and Junior criteriums

The feared ‘Loxton Kicker’ has proven decisive on the final day of the 2024 AusCycling Masters and Junior National Championships.

The Riverland town’s centre hosted 20 criterium races on a brutal circuit that included constant repeats of a 430-metre, 6% average climb up to the finish line on East Terrace.

This steep Kicker brought the cream to the top: there was little chance to hide in the bunch and wait for a sprint; this was a course of natural selection.

In each race, the peloton was whittled down lap after lap until a small group, or in many cases, a solo winner, smashed their way up the Kicker to take the chequered flag.

In the junior races, Charli Edwick (Gold Coast CC), Luca Zucchiatti (Neo CC) and Neve Parslow (Hamilton Wheelers CC) won from small groups.

In the under-17 boys’ race, WA’s Connor Wright (Ferguson Valley MTB Club) soloed to victory, adding to his mountain bike national titles from earlier this year.

Next up were the women’s masters races, where Lynda Behan (Southern Cross CC), Sueann Woodwiss (Port Adelaide CC), Kelly Ball (Penrith CC) and Ula Chrabaszcz (Carnegie Caulfield CC) each won their first title of the week.

Nicky Rolls (Manly Warringah CC) and Anna Davis (Coburg CC) both became dual national champions, adding the criterium to their earlier victories.

The men’s masters events saw Daniel van der Laan (Norwood CC) and Joshua Brooker (Carnegie Caulfield CC) win from reduced sprints, before Malcolm Lynn (Sutherland Shire CC), Glenn Ford (Eureka CC) and Ross Bowles (Harlequin) each broke away to win alone.

Russell Newnham (Carnegie Caulfield CC) doubled up from yesterday’s road race win, while Richard Woods (Australian Time Trials Association) also took his second gold of the Championships.

However, no rider has been quite as dominant as Chris Ling (Dulwich Hill BC), who completed the triple by winning the time trial, road race and today’s men’s masters 5 crit. While he scorched yesterday’s road race with a long-range solo move, today the Sydneysider was matched until the final climb by Steve Martin (Blackburn CC). Ling nevertheless proved quickest up the Kicker to clinch his third gold.

Rounding out the day, Matthew Sparnon (Norwood CC) and Andrew Friebe (University of Queensland CC) both took their second wins of the week.

 Medal winners – Criteriums

U15 Girls

1. Charli EDWICK (Gold Coast CC)
2. Jenna GALLAGHER (Bathurst CC)
3. Ava ROBBINS (Balmoral CC)

U15 Boys

1. Luca ZUCCHIATTI (Neo CC)
2. Luka COLLINS (Southern Cross CC)
3. Jack PANOZZO (Carnegie Caulfield CC)

U17 Girls

1. Neve PARSLOW (Hamilton Wheelers CC)
2. Lucy ALLEN (Illawarra CC)
3. Chloe BOWEN (University of Queensland CC)

U17 Boys

1. Connor WRIGHT (Ferguson Valley MTB Club)
2. Ben COATES (Manly Warringah CC)
3. Alistair FORSYTH (Ballarat / Sebastopol CC)

Women Masters 2

1. Ula CHRABASZCZ (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2. Kim PEDERSEN (Canberra CC)
3. Samantha BRADBURY (Saint Kilda CC)

Women Masters 3

1. Kelly BALL (Penrith CC)

Women Masters 4

1. Sueann WOODWISS (Port Adelaide CC)
2. Sorelle PRINCE (Lidcombe Auburn CC)
3. Lucy O'SHAUGHNESSY (Neo CC)

Women Masters 5

1. Nicky ROLLS (Manly Warringah CC)
2. Peta BRILL (Vikings CC)
3. Maryam ROGERS (St Kilda CC)

Women Masters 6

1. Anna DAVIS (Coburg CC)
2. Kate OLGERS (Peloton Sports)
3. Roberta SALVATORI (Harlequin Wheelmen)

Women Masters 7

1. Lynda BEHAN (Southern Cross CC)
2. Anne-Louise COSGROVE (Kangaroo Point CC)

 Men Masters 1

1. Daniel VAN DER LAAN (Norwood CC)
2. Angus SUTHERLAND (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3. Brent TOMLINSON (Carnegie Caulfield CC)

Men Masters 2

1. Joshua BROOKER (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2. Steve FLACK (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
3. James BARTLETT (University of Queensland CC)

Men Masters 3

1. Andrew FRIEBE (University of Queensland CC)
2. Lewis CROFTS (Brunswick CC)
3. Rod HUTCHINSON (Penrith CC)

Men Masters 4

1. Matthew SPARNON (Norwood CC)
2. Russell VAN HOUT (Norwood CC)
3. Tom LEAPER (Blackburn CC)

Men Masters 5

1. Chris LING (Dulwich Hill BC)
2. Steve MARTIN (Blackburn CC)
3. Nigel SMITH (Cooma CC)

Men Masters 6

1. Richard WOODS (Australian Time Trials Association)
2. Craig BURNE (Newcastle Hunter CC)
3. Scott DAVIS (Centennial Park CC)

Men Masters 7

1. Russell NEWNHAM (Carnegie Caulfield CC)
2. Neil ARNOLD (Illawarra CC)
3. Steven KNIGHT (Peel District CC)

Men Masters 8

1. Ross BOWLES (Harlequin)
2. Peter MICHAEL (Adelaide Hills CC)
3. Stephen JACKSON (Rockhampton  CC)

Men Masters 9

1. Glenn FORD (Eureka CC)
2. Bruce MCMILLAN (Cootamundra CC)
3. Ian LOVELL (Newcastle Hunter CC)

Men Masters 10

1. Malcolm LYNN (Sutherland Shire CC)
2. John HORSBURGH (Peloton Sports)
3. Ian GRAINGER (Waratah Masters CC)

Photos: James Raison / AusCycling