Stewart surprises as winner of the Australian Road Championship: "There was no option but to win"

Lucinda Stewart pulled off a surprise win at the Australian Road Championship in Perth. The 20-year-old claimed victory in her debut race for her new team, Liv AlUla Jayco Women's Continental Team, which is the development squad for the main team. On top of that, Stewart also took home the U23 women’s title in the same event.

The course consisted of eight laps over a 13.6-kilometer circuit, with 193 meters of elevation gain per lap and steep climbs of up to 12%. The opening lap was relatively uneventful, but by the second lap, a breakaway group had formed that, surprisingly, would last until the end.

The breakaway included Sophia Sammons (U23), Ella Simpson, Cassia Boglio, Lauren Thomas, Katelyn Nicholson, and Lucinda Stewart (also a U23 rider). The six riders worked well together, gradually building a comfortable lead. Midway through the race, Thomas dropped from the group, leaving five riders out front. As the final lap began, the breakaway’s advantage over the peloton had grown to five minutes, making it clear that the winner would come from this group — a surprising turn of events.

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Thrilling finale and sprint-à-deux decide the race

From the peloton, Amanda Spratt and Amber Pate attempted to bridge the gap, but they couldn’t close in. The duo ultimately finished two minutes behind the leaders. Up front, the race culminated in a thrilling finale. In the final kilometer, Stewart and Simpson launched their attacks, leaving the remaining three riders unable to respond fully, though they were not completely dropped. The two young talents battled it out in a sprint-à-deux for the Australian title. In the final meters, Stewart edged past Simpson to claim the victory.

"I don’t know what to say, I feel so much pride racing in these colors. I look up to these girls, my teammates, so much and I respect them and I know how strong they all are. To be the only rider in the breakaway I knew I had to pull it off for Liv AlUla Jayco and that there was no other option other than winning. I am so happy. I knew the team had confidence in me and I just really wanted to pull it off for them," Stewart said excitedly after the race. "I wanted Amber Pate to come across as I know how strong she is, but it is so special to get this win. I am proud that I could do it," she told her team after the race.

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Results Australian road championships 2025, women

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