Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) won the women's elite and under 23 criterium at the Westbridge Funds Road National Championships on Friday, claiming the elite title in Northbridge after launching from the break of five to cross the line solo.
Alexandra Manly (AG Insurance-Soudal) set out in pursuit but couldn't quite close the gap, settling for second in the criterium while Roseman-Gannon's teammate Josie talbot took the final podium spot in the race of 60 minutes plus three laps of the 1.2km course.
"I think I had a little bit of an unfair advantage today, with nine riders [from the team] starting, but no, it's great to pull it off," Roseman-Gannon told broadcaster SBS.
"A lot of pressure on the shoulders when you have such good riders, with Georgia Baker back in the peloton so yeah, I had a few nervous moments there. But I had Gene [Bates], my DS saying find a way, and I did."
There were plenty of attacks early, with one of the riders from among the strong Liv-AlUla-Jayco contingent – from both the WorldTour and Continental development squad – ever present and 2025 U23 women's criterium champion Keira Will (Red Cat Cycling) was also out front on multiple occasions.
Then it was the trio of Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), Manly and Roseman-Gannon that took their turn out the front and hauled out a move with staying power. It was closer to the halfway point when Talbot and Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) also jumped across the gap to make it five at the front.
The cohesion in the group was initially good but then after about ten minutes of stretching the gap they started looking around and the pace eased. However, they seemed to pull it back together again and stayed out front on the course with wide boulevards and narrow side streets of the circuit, with its six corners giving the attackers plenty of scope to hide.
With over 50 minutes of racing in the legs Roseman-Gannon launched and tried to shake her rivals, Manly and Bradbury weren't going to let it happen though and the group pulled back together but then it was teammate Talbot who put the pressure on while Spratt, in her last season before retiring, also had a small dig.
With the hour mark approaching, and the gap over 30 seconds, the cat-and-mouse game wasn't over with Roseman-Gannon putting in another effort to launch solo. Once again, Manly determinedly tried to chase it down but this time just couldn't quite bridge the gap, which meant Roseman-Gannon clinched the criterium title she last held in 2024. She also went on to win the road race title that year as well.
After the break had carved up the top five spots, there was then another title to be decided as none of the riders in the attack group were eligible for the U23 category. That came down to a sprint from the bunch behind, which was won by 2025 road race victor Lucinda Stewart (Liv AlUla Jayco Continental) with Amelie Sanders (Meridian BikeBug) right behind to take second in the category while Belinda Bailey (NSTRMO x ATTAQUER x CCACHE) was third.
“It was a really hard, aggressive, fast race; that was the style of race I love," said Stewart.
On Thursday Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) won the elite women's time trial title and Sophia Sammons (Team Redcat) dominated in the U23 time trial. Sunday will deliver one more chance for both categories to walk away as an Australian champion, when the combined 109km road race takes place in the middle of the day.
Results
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