Preview: 2023 AusCycling Masters & Junior Road Nationals

The spring weather has arrived in Victoria, which means Australia’s road cyclists are ready to put their winter training to the test.

Starting this Thursday, the 2023 AusCycling Masters & Junior Road National Championships will be contested in Shepparton and Goulburn Valley.

Here’s what you should know about the event.

What are the National Championships?

These championships bring together the nation’s top amateur road racers to compete for the coveted title of Australian champion in their age category.

With the title comes the right to wear the green-and-gold jersey for the next 12 months.

The junior categories being contested this week are under-15 and under-17. Junior riders can compete for their state or territory team (if they’ve been selected), or as individuals.

For masters, the age categories run from Masters 1 (30-34 years) in five-year increments up to Masters 10 (75 years above).

The green-and-gold jersey of national champion will be up for grabs.

Three disciplines are being raced, each with its own national title: the individual time trial (on Thursday), the road race (Friday and Saturday), and the criterium (Saturday and Sunday).

Most age categories get standalone races, but some smaller categories will be rolled into combined races, with separate medals still awarded for each category.

The courses

The championships are being held in the northern Victorian region of Shepparton and Goulburn Valley on fully closed roads.

The town of Dookie will host the individual time trials and road races, while the criteriums will take place on the city streets of Shepparton.

Individual Time Trial

This year’s time trial course is one for the purists. Riders will tackle an out-and-back route starting and finishing in Dookie.

With one straight road to and from town, this will be a flat and fast affair, favouring the TT specialists with power and aerodynamics.

The under-15 riders will tackle an abridged 10km version, while all other categories will complete the full 15.5km course.

Road Race

Updated Friday September 22: The road race course has been altered after a traffic incident involving a rider during the individual time trial. Instead of a circuit, it'll now be an out-and-back loop, cutting out most of the climbing from the original circuit.

The road race courses are based on a 15km circuit east of Dookie. It’s a balanced course with several undulations that will test the sprinters, while not favouring any particular type of rider.

Whatever happens out on the laps, riders will return to Dookie to cross the finish line north of town.

Under-15s will race two laps (38km), Masters 6+ three laps (53km) and Masters Men 1-2 five laps (83km). Everyone else will race for four laps (69km).

Criterium

The championships will finish in the heart of Shepparton with a technical criterium on the city streets.

The clockwise laps will be pancake-flat, but each of five corners – especially the 180-degree hairpin at the top of the finish straight – will reward those with handling and skill.

The main drag outside Greater Shepparton’s council chambers will be a fitting place to crown the last national champions of the weekend.

The riders

Around 550 riders from across Australia will compete at these championships.

They’ll include these defending Masters champions from last year:

Masters Women

• Nicole Wilson (Sydney University Velo Club) – WMAS1
• Bree Playel (Manly Warringah CC) – WMAS2
• Kim Pedersen (Canberra CC) – WMAS2
• Angela Gates (Illawarra CC) – WMAS3
• Laurelea Moss (Coffs Harbour CC) – WMAS4
• Nicole Oh (Sydney University Velo Club) – WMAS4
• Kelly Phuah (Redlands Cycling & Multisport) – WMAS5
• Nicky Rolls (Manly Warringah CC) – WMAS5
• Anna Davis (Coburg CC) – WMAS6
• Kate Olgers (Peloton Sports) – WMAS6

Laurelea Moss is among the 2022 champions returning to the event.

Masters Men

• Luke Meers (Illawarra CC) – MMAS2
• Brad Norton (Shepparton CC) – MMAS2
• Rod Hutchinson (Penrith CC) – MMAS3
• Ben Morrison (Canberra CC) – MMAS3
• Chris Ling (Randwick Botany CC) – MMAS5
• Joe Spano (Carnegie Caulfield CC) – MMAS6
• Robert Young (Albury Wodonga CC) – MMAS6
• Steven Knight (Peel District CC) – MMAS7
• Russell Newnham (Carnegie Caulfield CC) – MMAS7
• Trevor Coulter (Northern Cycling) – MMAS8
• Wayne Hildred (Alpine CC) – MMAS8
• Myles Higgins (Shepparton CC) – MMAS10
• Darrell Wheeler (Dubbo CC) – MMAS10

In the junior categories, it’s always difficult to predict a winner, given how drastically the field changes from year to year.

Here are some of the under-17 women to look out for: Hayley Dell (Newcastle Hunter CC), Ruby Taylor (Hawthorn CC), Leani Van der Berg (South Coast CC) and Amelie Sanders (Gold Coast), who all dominated their respective state championship; and Georgina Gardiner (Canberra CC), who won the Canberra Junior Tour.

In the under-17 men’s event, keep an eye on Max Goold (Blackburn CC), the Victorian time trial champion; Hayden Stevens (Canberra CC), winner of the Canberra Junior Tour; Alex Hewes (Gold Coast Cycling Club) and William Brown (Port Adelaide CC), dual state champions; and perhaps a surprise from Ben Coates (Manly Warringah CC), who won the under-15 road race last year.

Ben Coates winning the under-15 road race last year.

They may have the farthest to travel, but also watch for Western Australia’s time trial champions Samuel Washington (X-Speed Australia CC) and Indiah Coupland (Midland CC).

Finally, Tasmania has a knack for producing world-class cyclists. They bring a smaller state team that includes state time trial champion Jonas Shelverton (Hobart Wheelers Dirt Devils CC).

How to follow

You’ll be able to find start lists and live results at AusCycling’s results page: https://results.auscycling.org.au/.

For daily content, follow AusCycling on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The 2023 AusCycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships are supported by Greater Shepparton City Council and the Victorian Government.

Photos: John Veage