Road nationals wrap up

The Cycling Australian Road National Championships wrapped up in Victoria over the weekend, with Caleb Ewan the standout performer from the NSWIS contingent.

Ewan won two national titles during the championships, triumphing in the men’s under-23 criterium and men’s under-23 road race to stake his claim as one of the rising stars in world cycling.

Both of Ewan’s wins came after sprints to the line. In the criterium the 19 year old narrowly avoided a crash before powering home to win, while in the road race Ewan was able to push past the pain of the 132km race to claim his second gold of the championships.

Ewan’s fellow NSWIS athletes Jack Beckinsale, Sam Spokes, Jack McCulloch and Nathan Bradshaw finished seventh, ninth, 11th and 21st, respectively in the criterium, with Spokes and Beckinsale also finishing fifth and ninth, respectively in the men’s under-23 time trial.

There was added success for NSWIS athlete Lauren Kitchen, who finished second in the women’s road race and third in the women’s criterium, as well as finishing ninth in the women’s time trial.

Amanda Spratt finished fifth in the women’s road race and seventh in the women’s time trial.

Other results included Aaron Donnelly finishing 12th in the elite men’s time trial.