Wagga Wagga’s fast, flowing criterium track has hosted a scintillating final day of racing at the 2025 AusCycling Junior and Masters Road National Championships. Twenty-three criterium national champions were crowned out of a total of 331 riders at the new Multisport Cycling Complex west of the city.
In the women’s masters 1-4 event, Kim Pedersen (Canberra CC) won with a bold solo attack from distance. The Canberran dangled in front of the bunch for lap after lap, her gap never growing to more than a handful of seconds. Ultimately, she won by six seconds ahead of the sprint behind.
Kim Pedersen held on to defy the bunch.
“I’m not terribly good at cornering, so in the first couple of laps it was hard for me to maintain position. I just thought, in a really strong Masters 2 field, I’m just going to bite the bullet and give it a crack,” Pedersen said.
“I felt that the closer I got to the finish line, the less likely that they were going to want to empty the tank. I saw them close up to a few bike lengths, and I just had to keep that pace on.
The peloton racing on the Wagga Wagga criterium track.
“I had a pretty disappointing – by my standards – time trial. I had COVID last week. I really wanted to do well in the time trial: I did get third; I’m happy with that. To win in the crit, doing essentially a time trial, I’m pretty proud.”
In the men’s masters 5 event, Chris Ling (Dulwich Hill BC) finished off an active race in which he was the main protagonist at the front of the bunch. The Sydneysider saved enough in his legs to lead out the sprint for victory – his eighth masters national road title in three years.
Christopher Miller (Centennial Park CC) produced an impressive solo move in the masters 3 race, going clear with around half the distance remaining. He built his lead to around 20 seconds as the bunch behind failed to surmount a consistent chase, eventually winning by 14 seconds.
Chris Miller had plenty of time to celebrate his solo victory.
The early part of the under-15 women’s race was animated by the Queensland team, who kept the pace high with several attacks and counterattacks. Their aggression served to thin out the bunch in a race of attrition, leaving only around 10 riders in contention on the final lap. Allegra Beretov (NSW) was the best in the sprint, taking out the national title.
The under-15 men’s race was, likewise, an attritional one, but despite many attacks it also came down to a mass sprint of 17 riders, won by Reilly Dickson (QLD).
The flowing bends of Wagga's purpose-built criterium track.
The under-17 women’s race saw early attacks by the likes of Lucy Allen (NSW) and Lily Suckling (WA), but Queensland – and particularly pre-race favourite Ava Robbin – remained in control. A fast sprint finish saw Jenna Gallagher (pictured top) bounce back from a disappointing road race to claim the criterium title.
“It means a lot because I had to pull out of the road race from a mechanical, so it was just great to come and win,” Gallagher said.
With over 50 starters, the under-17 men’s race was always going to be a frenetic affair. Early fireworks served to string out the field, but the elastic remained intact until a heavy fall for one rider forced the race to be neutralised.
Lucas Soegaard takes the win for Queensland.
After the delay, the race was restarted with just 10 minutes and two laps to go. Lucas Soegaard stormed to victory in the sprint, winning by several bike lengths.
In the men’s masters 7 race, Wayne Sanchez (Sutherland Shire CC) replicated yesterday’s road race to take another title in a bunch sprint. Matthew Sparnon (Norwood CC) was able to do likewise in the masters 4 category, completing a clean sweep of the week’s medals.
Anna Davis (Coburg CC) and Bev Anderson (Canberra Off Road Cyclists) were the other riders who completed a trifecta of national titles across the time trial, road race and criterium.
Bev Anderson completed a clean sweep of WMAS8 national titles.
A thrilling finale rounded out the week’s racing in the masters 1 event. The leading group, which had been whittled down to just four riders, came to a near standstill on the final lap.
Sensing an opportunity, Adam Van Stokrom (Carnegie Caulfield CC) jumped with 600 metres to go, catching his rivals napping and opening a 20-metres gap. Although the sprint was closing in from behind, the Melburnian did enough to hold them off and win the race.
Adam Van Stokrom took a classy win at the end of the day.
National Champions - Criterium
🥇 JM15: Reilly Dickson (Queensland)
🥇 JW15: Allegra Beretov (New South Wales)
🥇 JM17: Lucas Soegaard (Queensland)
🥇 JW17: Jenna Gallagher (New South Wales)
🥇 WMAS1: Meg Phillips (Manly Warringah CC)
🥇 WMAS2: Kim Pedersen (Canberra CC)
🥇 WMAS3: Roslyn Hurt (Batemans Bay MTB)
🥇 WMAS4: Nicole Oh (Sydney Uni Velo Club)
🥇 WMAS5: Dayna Davidson (Southern Cross CC)
🥇 WMAS6: Nicky Rolls (Manly Warringah CC)
🥇 WMAS7: Anna Davis (Coburg CC)
🥇 WMAS8: Bev Anderson (Canberra Off Road Cyclists)
🥇 MMAS1: Adam Van Stokrom (Carnegie Caufield CC)
🥇 MMAS2: Garry Millburn (Alpine CC)
🥇 MMAS3: Christopher Miller (Centennial Park CC)
🥇 MMAS4: Matthew Sparnon (Norwood CC)
🥇 MMAS5: Chris Ling (Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club)
🥇 MMAS6: Timothy Morris (Alpine CC)
🥇 MMAS7: Wayne Sanchez (Sutherland Shire CC)
🥇 MMAS8: Ross Bowles (Harlequin)
🥇 MMAS9: Roger Cull (Sydney CC)
🥇 MMAS10: Nigel Davies (Northern Vets CC)
🥇 MMAS11: Darrell Wheeler (Dubbo CC)
Photos: Con Chronis