Australian team: Women Elite
Two changes have been made to Australia’s successful women’s squad from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Commonwealth gold medallists Georgia Baker and Grace Brown will feature alongside Birmingham teammates Sarah Roy, Alexandra Manly and Brodie Chapman. Manly and Baker are close friends and have experienced a renaissance in their road careers since switching back from the Olympic track team, both possess a potent sprint to mix with their all-round abilities.
Amanda Spratt will return for her 10th appearance in Australian colours at a UCI Road World Championships. The experienced campaigner from Sydney’s Blue Mountains is the most decorated active rider at the women's world championships with two road race medals (2nd – 2018, 3rd – 2019).
Josie Talbot will make her debut on a course that passes just metres from her home in Wollongong. She qualifies as an extra selection for the squad after winning the Oceania championships road race.
Missing out are dual national champion Sarah Gigante, who hasn't had much racing this year after recovering from a heart condition; Ruby Roseman-Gannon, who was in strong form at the Tour de France Femmes; Tiffany Cromwell, who is riding as well as ever and would be a good road captain; Rachel Neylan, who has a wealth of experience racing; Chloe Hosking, the highly-credentialled sprinter; and potential bolter Georgie Howe, who has had a very impressive start to her career in cycling.
Arguably the biggest omission is Neve Bradbury, the 20-year-old rising star of the sport 10th overall at the Giro Donne, 5th at the Scandinavian Tour, both results some of the best of the entire season by an Australian in the Women's WorldTour. She would also be at home on the climbs, and it would be a good chance to build to future championships where Bradbury could lead a team.
“This was a very difficult selection as we have such a big and talented pool of athletes to select from,” Australian Cycling Team Elite Road Coordinator Rory Sutherland said.
“Athletes are always proud to race in the green and gold, doing so on home soil is a dream that probably comes once in a lifetime. I'm excited for the group that have been assembled and especially proud to have the junior riders return to the World Championships after a few years’ absence.”
For Spratt, the Championships have added significance.
“It’s always an honour and privilege to wear the green and gold, so I am so excited to be named in the team for my 10th World Championships,’’ she said.
“Even more special is that it is a home World Championships that covers roads I grew up training on. My first ever senior Worlds were in Geelong so I know how amazing it is to have this event on home soil and the impact it can have.
“I’m really excited when I look at the team we have and think it’s one of the overall strongest teams we have had in years. Alex and Grace, in particular, have had really strong results recently and put their hand up as our leaders, but I think our biggest strength will be having numbers in the final.”
Australian team: Women Elite
- Georgia Baker (Northern Districts Cycling Club, TAS – debut*)
- Grace Brown (St Kilda CC, VIC – 3rd appearance)
- Brodie Chapman (University of Queensland CC, QLD – 4th appearance)
- Alexandra Manly (Central Districts CC, SA – debut)
- Sarah Roy (Parklife CC, NSW – 6th appearance)
- Amanda Spratt (Penrith CC, NSW – 10th appearance)
- Josie Talbot (Camden CC, NSW – debut)
Men Elite
Australia’s men’s squad will be headlined by Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley and 2015 silver medallist Michael Matthews, winner of nine Grand Tour stages.
After claiming silver in the under-23 time trial last year, Luke Plapp will make his elite debut on the road.
Also joining the team will be Tour de France stage winners Ben O’Connor and Simon Clarke, 2011 under-23 world champion Luke Durbridge, former national champion Heinrich Haussler, and Queensland climber Nick Schultz after his excellent Tour debut.
Plapp will contest the individual time trial while former world champion Rohan Dennis was unavailable for selection due to family reasons.
Missing out are recent Vuelta a Espana stage winner and e-sports world champion Jay Vine; Jack Haig, who is recovering from a broken collarbone sustained at the Tour de France; Chris Hamilton, who performed impressively as a climbing domestique at the Tour as well as climbers Lucas Hamilton and Michael Storer.
The highest profile omission is Caleb Ewan, the Australian sprinter prominent in promotion of the event and basing his season planning around being ready for the home world championships. The Bowral local won recently at the Deustchland Tour, posting about his joy at taking the win and disappointment at missing the world championships.
"This one felt really good! Especially after the bad news that I won’t be at my home world championships this year," posted Ewan. "To be honest I don’t have much to say on the matter other than I’m heartbroken I won’t be there to represent my country and that I believe I deserved to be there. Anyways, sob story over."
Last time Australia hosted the UCI Road World Championships, Matthews won the under-23 road race in Geelong. Twelve years on, the Canberran aims to write history again on home shores.
“Winning the under-23 world title on home soil was really a dream come true coming into the pros. Now, having it back in Australia again when I’m really at the top of my game is a dream come true,” Matthews said.
“I really want to make the most of it – and have a great time – and hopefully stand on that top step. We’re going there 100 per cent for that goal: to win the medal for Australia.
“We have a great team for a course like this. This course suits Australians really well, for the races that we grew up doing. I think it was quite difficult for the selectors to put it down to a group of eight guys, but they’ve done a great job and I think the team’s going to be super strong.
“We have a lot of guys for different sort of areas of the race, and hopefully we can play the race into our favour and then do our thing in the final.”
Australian team: Men Elite
- Simon Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield CC, VIC – 11th appearance*)
- Luke Durbridge (Midland CC, WA – 8th appearance)
- Heinrich Haussler (Inverell CC, NSW – 6th appearance)
- Jai Hindley (Midland CC, WA – 2nd appearance)
- Michael Matthews (Vikings CC, ACT – 10th appearance)
- Ben O’Connor (Peel District CC, WA – debut)
- Lucas Plapp (Brunswick CC, VIC – debut)
- Nicholas Schultz (Sunshine Coast CC, QLD – 4th appearance)
Men Under-23
Five Australians will contest the under-23 men’s road race on September 23.
Sydney’s Matthew Dinham and Dylan George, Melbourne’s Rudy Porter and Jensen Plowright, and Canberra’s Dylan Hopkins will race in the green and gold. Porter and Plowright are set to move to the WorldTour next year, with Dinham expected to be signed up to a professional deal after a strong series of performances throughout the season.
The five riders have been representing Australia at the Tour de l’Avenir in France this week.
- Matthew Dinham (Manly Warringah CC, NSW)
- Dylan George (Manly Warringah CC, NSW)
- Dylan Hopkins (Canberra CC, ACT)
- Jensen Plowright (Hawthorn CC, VIC)
- Rudy Porter (Carnegie Caulfield CC, VIC)
Junior Under-19
Australia’s junior under-19 selections were announced earlier this year.
Junior Men
- Oscar Chamberlain (Canberra Cycling Club, ACT)
- William Eaves (City of Burnie Cycling Club, TAS)
- Hamish McKenzie (Northern Districts Cycling Club, TAS)
- Cameron Rogers (Canberra Cycling Club, ACT)
Junior Women
- Talia Appleton (Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club/Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, VIC)
- Belinda Bailey (Bendigo & District Cycling Club, VIC)
- Isabelle Carnes (Balmoral Cycling Club, QLD)
- Bronte Stewart (Tolland Cycling Club, NSW)
- Lucinda Stewart (Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, VIC)
