'It was a great time': Lisa Jacobs reflects on her national championship reign

Lisa Jacobs holds a special place and record in Australia’s cyclo-cross community.

She is the only female athlete to have won three consecutive national titles.

With only two weeks until the 2024 AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Ballarat AusCyclingwe reached out to the Victorian to chat about her reign over the discipline more than 10 years ago.

 It was 2013 when Jacobs arrived on the CX scene transitioning over from road cycling to the more punk rock version of skinny tyres. 

Jacobs, who had competed in the women’s Giro d’Italia, would find herself with a second cycling career that she never expected to have.

“It was a great time for Australian CX,” Jacobs said.

“The sport was growing quickly, and everyone was eager to embrace it and build the culture in Australia, so it had a very positive vibe.

“I remember watching Chris Jongewaard, who had achieved a lot of success in XC MTB and on the road, transition to CX and I thought ‘wow, he was born for this sport’,” she said of the man who has won six consecutive National Championship titles.

Jacobs would find she too was born for the sport as she lined up in the elite women’s race at the inaugural National Championships 11 years ago.

Lisa Jacobs won her first National CX Championship in 2013.

“I remember seeing four or five ex-MTB national champions on the start line. Everybody wanted to win it.

“Everything came together for me that day, which is what you dream about as a rider (but rarely happens).”

From then on, Jacobs’ domination of the sport continued and she would stand on top of the podium at the National Championships for the next three years.

“My biggest drive came from myself, and wanting to see how good I could be on the world stage,” Jacobs reflects.

Lisa Jacobs won three elite National Championships.

“I spent a lot of time racing overseas – in Europe, USA, Japan and China – and the level overseas was so high, so that is where the bar was.”

It is only in the last 12 months that the 42-year-old has got around to celebrating her Australian jersey’s, framing them in her study and letting her six-year-old wear one to school dress up.

A reminder too, of how life has changed a decade since those wins.

“I still love riding – especially gravel riding – although it’s a lot more relaxed these days.

“My family and my kids don’t need to see Lisa the athlete. And I like beer way too much,” she said.

And who better to get some final race preparation tips off than the triple champion herself.

Lisa Jacobs competed overseas in Europe, USA, China and Japan

“If you have fitness but not technical skills, then practice running obstacles rather than wasting time going slowly over them.

“If you have the technical skills but not the fitness, then use the technical sections to win back time.

“Although, I highly recommend working on your cornering skills, no matter what your strength is.”

Riders have until Tuesday August 13 to enter the 2024 AusCycling Cyclo-cross National Championships.