Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell successfully defended her title on a day her partner, Finnish F1 driver Valtteri Bottas, saluted in his age group at the SEVEN Gravel Race in Nannup on Saturday.
National champion Cromwell not only made it back-to-back victories but also became the first three-time winner of SEVEN.
Fellow Australian Brendan Johnston backed up his 2024 victory with a late solo move approaching the finish line to beat reigning champion Mark O'Brien in the men's race.
Cromwell used her experience to reduce the field to herself, Matilda Reynolds, and Maria Laurie before she crossed the line in four hours, 28 minutes, and 52 seconds and embraced Bottas, who won the 35-39 age group.
“I haven’t had the best last couple of months, you know, a bit of soul searching, so that definitely was one that’s helped with the confidence and gives me a little bit of spring back in my step,” Cromwell said.
“It was an interesting race, you know, although we had a small field it was a very strong field and I always just kind of sit back and analyse everyone to start with, because you know, I only knew probably half of the girls and then there was the two who I didn’t know at all.”
Cromwell will chase a world title on the same course in October.
“It would be nice, but, you know, I’m also really like, not going to count my eggs before they have hatched,” she said.
“I know we’re going to have a super strong field line up. There’s a lot of girls who are targeting this.
“From the setup to gravel to the pressures, to the training, I know I need to do,” Cromwell added of what she learned about the course.
A stacked elite men’s field included four former winners: Johnston, O'Brien, Tasman Nankervis, and Adam Blazevic in the 125km race.
It looked likely to be a three-rider sprint between Johnston, O'Brien, and Harrison Bebbington before the experienced Johnston rode away in the closing kilometres to take a narrow win in 3:55.56, just seven seconds clear of O'Brien with Bebbington a further 22 seconds back.
“Oh, it feels good. This is my fifth straight UCI win, so that was something I had in my mind,” he said.
“I wanted to get to five of them in a row and it’s where I wanted to do it. I think it’s just like the hardest we’ve got in here in Australia and yeah, it played out just like that.
“It was, I mean, yeah, just in the long climbs, Marko (Mark O'Brien) was really strong and even distanced all of us, but we kept coming back and then I knew the finish would suit me, so it was extra special to come back and win again.
“That knowledge of the course is going to be really helpful come World Championships.”
Cadillac driver Bottas was taking part during an F1 break, with the next race, the Canadian Grand Prix, from May 22-24.
“It’s a solid course. Yeah, I knew it’s going to be a hilly one but yeah, really fun,” he said.
“Definitely one of the best in the world. I really like this course, especially, you know, compared to the European gravel races that I’ve seen. Apart from Finland, it’s better, this is the proper gravel here.”
SEVEN is named for the seven distinct gravel sections: Reveley, Brockman's Farm, Maidment, The Crucible, Arcadia, The Labyrinth, and Glacier Valley that span the 125-kilometre course.
More than 2000 participants from 29 countries took part in the UCI Gravel World Series event.
