Graeme Frislie wins men's AusCycling National Road Series

With an impressive final round, Graeme Frislie (CCACHE x Par Küp) has won the 2024 AusCycling National Road Series.

The 23-year-old was crowned the NRS individual champion on Friday after winning the general classification and two stages at the season-ending Tour of Gippsland.

Having conquered the Tour de Brisbane in April, Frislie arrived in Gippsland tied at the top of the standings with his teammate Alastair Christie-Johnston. However, the latter was unable to start due to injury.

Nevertheless, Frislie and his CCACHE x Par Küp team proved head and shoulders above the field. The team swept all four stages with four different riders and took home three out of four jerseys.

It completes an excellent road season for Frislie, who is a Commonwealth Games medallist and Madison national champion on the track, and has twice been the under-23 Australian criterium champion.

Frislie won the Tour de Brisbane earlier this year. (RaceAtlas)

Frislie was born in the USA but developed his racecraft in the Ballarat region. He is currently a member of Melbourne’s Brunswick Cycling Club.

“It’s a series I grew up watching while I was still a junior,” Frislie said about the NRS.

“Just watching the highlights packages on TV was always really cool. It was something I wanted to be a part of. To take the overall NRS, it’s nice to have my name on that honour roll.”

Frislie will be the last male winner of the NRS before Australia’s premier domestic road racing series makes way for the new ProVelo Super League next year.

CCACHE x Par Küp will go out on top having won the teams classification, swept the podium of the individual classification, and won the best young rider’s classification with William Heffernan.

The team’s long-time manager, Sam Layzell, said, “It really has been an amazing season 2024 for us. I think we can really attribute it to our riders and the culture that we have within the team.

“Plus, of course, our sponsors and investors, who over the years have contributed hundreds of thousands to Australian cycling. They've given us the opportunity to compete in more and more events throughout the season, and that of course raises the level of the guys.”

Members of CCACHE x Par Küp, including Sam Layzell (far right). (Auriol Carruthers)

CCACHE x Par Küp has been a stalwart of the NRS for over 10 seasons, previously competing as Oliver’s Real Food Racing. This year, they won the Grafton to Inverell, Tour de Brisbane and now the Tour of Gippsland while main rivals ARA Skip Capital and Team BridgeLane reduced their participation.

“Our team has been competing in the National Road Series since 2013, so to win the final-ever season is definitely special,” Layzell said.

“There has been plenty of highs, but also some lows and difficult times over those years. So, as we move into a new phase in Australian cycling, I really hope all the existing teams, and also some new teams form in season 2025 and beyond. Because each and every team is valuable and needed on the domestic scene.”

The women's NRS was won by Keely Bennett and Team BridgeLane.

Results – 2024 AusCycling National Road Series

Men’s Individual

1. Graeme Frislie (CCACHE x Par Küp) – 715 pts
2. William Heffernan (CCACHE x Par Küp) – 300
3. Bentley Niquet-Olden (CCACHE x Par Küp) – 290

Men’s Team

1. CCACHE x Par Küp – 1,829 pts
2. Team BridgeLane – 552
3. Blackshaw Racing – 248

Men's Young Rider

1. William Heffernan (CCACHE x Par Küp) – 300 pts
2. = Jack Ward (Team BridgeLane) and Jack Dohler (Van D'Am Racing) – 150

Feature photo: Tour of Gippsland / Australia Cycling Photography