Cameron Scott jumps up a step in 2026 to clinch Australian men's gravel title

Cameron Scott secured the Australian men’s gravel title at the 2026 AusCycling Gravel National Championships, held at Ponderosa Pines in South Australia. After narrowly missing out the previous year, Scott made a decisive move on the final run to the finish, breaking away from a small leading group to claim victory. Covering the 123km gravel course with 1,600 metres of elevation in 4 hours, 3 minutes and 47 seconds, Scott crossed the line six seconds ahead of Brent Rees, with Harrison Bennington rounding out the podium. The race unfolded under challenging, muddy conditions following a wet women’s event the day before, with riders tackling a demanding course that included a 17.5km Western Loop and two laps of the main circuit. Scott described the contest as an elimination-style battle, with riders dropping off gradually as fatigue set in. He noted that while his competitors had an advantage on the climbs, he managed to regain ground on the descents, ultimately capitalising on the fatigue and lack of late attacks to secure his win. Scott’s victory is particularly notable given his background as a road and track cyclist, rather than a gravel specialist. He currently rides for Li Ning Star on the road and previously spent two seasons in the WorldTour with Bahrain Victorious. Although not a regular on the gravel scene, Scott has dabbled in the discipline over several years, including a second-place finish at the inaugural Gravelista event in 2022. His triumph this year gives him the green and gold jersey to wear, adding incentive to compete more frequently on gravel. The win also carries significance in the context of Australia hosting the UCI Gravel World Championships later in 2026. While Scott’s sprinting strengths may be less suited to the World Championships’ much tougher 140.7km course with over 3,600 metres of climbing, his national title marks him as a key figure in Australian gravel racing. Meanwhile, last year’s champion Mark O’Brien finished ninth this time, highlighting the competitive and unpredictable nature of the event.