‘It’s everyone’s dream’ – Dubier claims world title

Anna Dubier has become Australia’s latest world champion after winning the junior women’s points race at the 2025 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Apeldoorn.

The 17-year-old New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder from Sydney’s Lidcombe Auburn Cycle Club produced a ride to remember on the fourth night of racing in the Netherlands, leading from start to finish over the 80-lap race on the boards of Omnisport Apeldoorn.

Dubier attacked early before the first sprint opportunity for points, gained the maximum five on offer and continued on with her solo move to gain a lap and 20 points.

From there, Dubier put her elite race IQ to work and maintained control of her points lead by following moves, one of which became another decisive lap gain amongst a group of six inside the final 30 laps.

As the final laps counted down, Dubier said the realisation of an unbeatable points lead and her world championship dream began to set in.

“With about eight laps to go I started realising what I about to achieve, that the win was in my hands,” she said.

“I sat up for the last lap of the race, it’s a statement of your efforts and performance in the race to be able to roll across the line celebrating while everyone else is still sprinting. I felt a huge relief and just sheer excitement, I kept looking for all my friends and the Aussies in the crowd cheering me on as I took a few laps celebrating and soaking it in.

“It was surreal, honestly. It’s everyone’s dream to be a world champion and to be living it right now with all the support I have behind me is just magical. It’s extremely emotional to know that my friends and loved ones who have passed away are very proud of me and they are part of the reason I do what I do.”

Dubier has delivered indicators of masterful race craft throughout 2025, winning the national and Oceania points race in smart, late points charges, as well as winning the junior road race national crown in a sprint finish.

That modus operandi was turned on its head to achieve the rainbow jersey and gold medal, but Dubier said it was far from premeditated.

“Going for the lap straight away was definitely not the plan,” she said. “In my points races, I normally like to start off conserving energy and then at the back end really push for points.

“This was the complete opposite, straight away off the front and when I looked back I thought about swinging up and going back to the bunch but sometimes you need to take a risk and what better way to do it than on a world stage!

“I knew that it would be tough from then on and I just needed to survive the counter attacks and really pick which ones to go with that could possibly take a lap, which thankfully I did.”

Dubier is the ARA Australian Cycling Team’s first world champion of 2025 and the third medal won from Apeldoorn alongside junior women’s omnium bronze medallist Amelie Sanders and junior women’s team sprint bronze medallists Ella Liang, Ebony Robinson and Olivia Wright.

The triumph is also Australia’s first in the junior women’s points race since Taylah Jennings in 2012.

Josh Davies, AusCycling