Nicole Frain sweeps RADL GRVL and first-ever Oceania Gravel Championship for elite women while Romain Bardet earns gravel race victory for elite men

Riders tackled a hilly route of 128km and 2,300 metres of elevation gain through the Adelaide Hills, with approximately 65% of the terrain gravel. It had been hot all week, and Friday was no different, with the temperature climbing above 30 °C again.

The elite men were all together over the first two climbs in the opening 20km, and then a small group gained an advantage. The group included Australian gravel champion O’Brien, joined by Rapha Cycling Club duo Bardet and Boswell. Unbound Gravel 200 champion Jones, also with Rapha Cycling Club, was reported to have punctured twice, but was in a pack of chasers.

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At the halfway mark, with technical descents after Prospect Hill, the gap of nearly two-and-a-half minutes had been closed and the elite men’s race was all back together.

With 100km covered under clear skies and with mainly flat hard-packed dirt remaining, six riders had moved away from the field – Boswell, Jones, Bardet, O’Brien, Vermeulen and Rees. Leading a group of seven riders in the chase was Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost), who trailed 5:17 back.

Bardet then launched a solo attack, with no reaction. With 10km to go, he was all alone. Then with 5km to go, Jones had the Frenchman in his sights, but there wasn’t much room or time to close the gap to his teammate.

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(Image credit: RADL GRVL presented by Quad Lock)

Nicole Frain set the pace early in the women’s contest. The Australian hammered across the opening 10km and began to gap the field on the first climb north of Willunga, with Rollins the closest rider in the chase at 30 seconds back. The next group included Shrosbree, Sheppard, Barry and defending champion Cromwell.

In the next 80km, a clockwise loop that took in the relentless climbing of the Mount Lofty ranges, the lone leader remained untested by her competitors, with the race status quo on movements.

The final climb began with less than 25km to go and Frain remained out front with a four-minute lead over Rollins. The same quartet of riders worked together in pursuit, but now six-and-a-half minutes behind the US rider – Cromwell, Sheppard, Barry and Shrosbree. Another six minutes back Matilda Raynolds had no one around for help, riding solo in seventh.

Frain time trialled to the finish. Rollins made only a small dent into that lead, both riders picking up steam on the flat final kilometres into McLaren Vale. The time to the chase group grew, with Cromwell finally breaking free of her companions in the final 5km, but finishing 11:02 behind Frainon the 127km course.

Frain last raced RADL GRVL in 2024, going second to compatriot Brodie Chapman.

Pos.

Name

Time

1

Romain Bardet

3:29:46

2

Cameron Jones

+0:56

3

Alexey Vermeulen

+1:47

4

Mark O’Brien

+1:48

5

Brent Rees

+2:42

6

Ian Boswell

+3:40

7

Jeremy Presbury

+6:32

8

Jasper Albrecht

+9:56

9

Freddy Ovett

+9:56

9

Cassius Anderson

+9:56

11

Dylan Johnson

+9:57

12

Curtis Dowdell

+9:57

13

Lachlan Morton

+9:58

14

Tom Cheesman

+11:17

15

Tom Chester

+15:22

Swipe to scroll horizontallyElite women top 15

Pos.

Name

Time

1

Nicole Frain

4:02:32

2

Melisa Rollins

+3:04

3

Tiffany Cromwell

+11:02

4

Samara Sheppard

+11:30

5

Tori Barry

+12:34

6

Danni Shrosbree

+13:58

7

Matilda Raynolds

+29:35

8

Flora Johnson

+36:09

9

Cassia Boglio

+41:09

10

Elle De Nooyer

+43:33

11

Paige Penrose

+50:27

12

Chloe Hartnett

+51:52

13

Tatum Brown

+53:15

14

Karla Bell

+1:12:19

15

Inez Cashman

+1:12:20

Pos.

Name

Country

1

Cameron Jones

NZL

2

Mark O’Brien

AUS

3

Brent Rees

AUS

Swipe to scroll horizontallyTop 3 women

Pos.

Name

Country

1

Nicole Frain

AUS

2

Tiffany Cromwell

AUS

3

Samara Sheppard

NZL