Unbound clash sees several top names missing from Australian Gravel Championships, but Tiffany Cromwell and Mark O'Brien set to defend titles

The 2025 AusCycling National Gravel Championships are set to take place this weekend at Ponderosa Pines in South Australia, with defending champions Tiffany Cromwell and Mark O’Brien returning to defend their titles. However, the event faces a notable absence of several top Australian gravel riders, who have opted to compete at the prestigious Unbound Gravel event in the United States instead. This scheduling clash has forced many leading names, including 2024 champions Courtney Sherwell and Brendan Johnston, as well as 2023 winner Connor Sens and Oceania champion Nicole Frain, to prioritise international competition over the national title. Despite the absence of some elite competitors, the championships will still feature a strong field, including riders who typically compete across various cycling disciplines. The women’s race, in particular, has been expanded and given its own dedicated day, with the distance increased to 123 kilometres to match the men’s event. Cromwell welcomed these changes, highlighting that the longer course and separate scheduling should create a more competitive and engaging race. The course itself is challenging, featuring 100% gravel terrain with significant elevation gain, including the steep and demanding Tombstone Hill climb. On the men’s side, Mark O’Brien faces competition from riders such as Cameron Scott, who has a background in road racing but has increasingly ventured into gravel events. Other notable entrants include Tasman Nankervis, winner of the 2024 RADL GRVL, and Kane Richards, who recently placed tenth in the national road race championships. O’Brien acknowledged the physical demands of the course and the unpredictability of race dynamics, particularly given his known sprinting limitations, but expressed confidence in his form and determination to defend his title. The ongoing scheduling conflict between the Australian Gravel Championships and major international gravel events like Unbound and the UCI Gravel World Series has sparked discussion within the cycling community. AusCycling has declined to comment on the timing of the national championships, leaving some uncertainty about future calendar arrangements. With the UCI Gravel World Championships set to be held in Western Australia later this year, the performances of riders like Cromwell and Frain on home soil will be closely watched as they prepare for the global stage.