Ballarat set for a muddy showdown at CX National Championships

The culmination of the cyclo-cross season arrives on Ballarat’s doorstep this weekend.

Two days of racing are scheduled with the 2025 AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Championships set to be decided on the Saturday and the seventh and final round of the CX National Series on the Sunday.

Let’s have a look at who will be chasing the top step.

Elite Men

The 2025 CX National Championships in Ballarat are shaping up to be a brutal affair, with heavy rain promising a course that will reward those who can keep their wheels turning and their composure intact.

A new champion will be crowned in the elite men.

Current national series leader Cameron Ivory has already claimed Australian titles in XCO and XCM, and now he’s chasing the rare triple crown by adding a cyclo-cross victory to his glittering résumé.

Cameron Ivory is the current overall series leader.

His consistency this season makes him the man to beat, but the mud could be the great equaliser.

Former national champion Chris Aitken knows exactly what it takes to wear the green-and-gold jersey, and after watching others stand on the top step in recent years, he’ll be desperate to add another title to his name.

Port Adelaide was the launching pad for Tristan Nash, who mastered the heavy conditions at Rounds 5 and 6 to take back-to-back wins.

Fourth in last year’s championships, Nash’s form surge has put him firmly in the conversation for gold.

Tristan Nash could be a major threat for the gold medal in Ballarat.

Silver medallist in 2024, Nicholas Smith will return with unfinished business, aiming to turn that heartbreak into triumph.

Meanwhile, last year’s bronze medallist Tasman Nankervis an all-rounder with the engine for big races  could thrive if the course turns into a slog.

Harrison Bebbington, the winner of the opening round hasn’t featured since Geelong, but with fresher legs than some of his rivals, he could be a surprise package in the mud.

Elite Women

In the women’s field, all eyes will be on Izzy Flint the defending champion who’s been dominant in 2025, claiming five series wins and leading the overall standings.

Izzy Flint is looking to go back-to-back national championship titles.

Her technical skill and relentless engine make her the rider to beat, even in the harshest conditions.

The only rider to topple Flint this year is Miranda Griffiths, the Ballarat local who took silver behind Flint at last year’s championships.

With the home crowd behind her and a deep knowledge of the course, Griffiths will be gunning for the top step and the fairytale finish.

Challenging also will be Port Adelaide Cycling Club’s Madeline Wasserbaech who has picked up minor medals in two of the national series rounds.

High calibre racing will also be on show across the Junior and U23 categories as well as the masters.

With just one day to decide the national champion and the Ballarat course set to be a true mud bath, this year’s race won’t simply be about who’s strongest it’ll be about who’s willing to dig deepest when the conditions get ugly.