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ARA Skip Capital juniors Anna Dubier and Alex Hewes win road race titles

Jan 11, 2025

Anna Dubier and Alex Hewes have delivered ARA Skip Capital both junior road race national championships on the fourth day of 2025 AusCycling Road National Championships action in Perth, Western Australia.

The ARA Skip Capital riders both sprinted to victory in Kings Park, but pulled off their dream days from different race situations.

Dubier outsprinted teammate Amelie Sanders to flip yesterday's criterium result after the 81-kilometre, six-lap race was widdled down to a select group of Australia's best under-19 women.

Fellow teammate Leani van der Berg completed the ARA Skip Capital podium sweep in third.

"This means so much to me, especially after the whole of last year. There were a lot of crashes, real nasty ones in last year’s Nationals and in Europe that cut my trip short," Dubier said.

"Coming back from that, I’m honestly even happy to even here and be in such good form. To pull it off, it means so much to me.

"I was happy if a breakaway was going to stick but then I also backed myself for the final sprint. It was led out from a while, there was a good train leading into the final corner and I positioned myself well and I came off the wheel pretty much with perfect timing for me to grab the win comfortably."

Hewes was forced to fight hard early in the junior men's 109-kilometre, eight-lap race to bridge to the front of a splintered race, but then kicked in the clutch and conserved energy as best he could.

A group of only nine riders arrived at the bottom of Malcolm Street at the end of the 109-kilometre race.

On the steep ramp, an acceleration by Fletcher Medway was matched only by Hewes and his teammate Jonas Shelverton, who had followed the first breakaway of the day.

Hewes proved victorious in the three-up sprint, accelerating away with ease to lead home a one-two for ARA Skip Capital as Shelverton took silver.

Medway won his second bronze of the week, adding to his time trial medal.

"I’m absolutely over the moon. It’s a bit of dream to be out there, to win such a prestigious race," Hewes said.

"I missed the early breakaway … then there were a few attacks here and there. The peloton was chasing pretty hard to close them down, though.

"Then around four laps in, I decided it’s time to bridge across. Had to go three or four times because I got shot down a few times but I eventually got away with a couple others. Bridged across, and then it was pretty smooth sailing from there all the way to the finish.

"Thanks to Jonas, my teammate, I was able to stop the attacks and win the sprint from the top.

"I did as much as I could but I knew I have a really good sprint in me so the plan wasn’t to attack. The plan was to go from the reduced bunch sprint. That’s something I’m particularly good at as a track cyclist and a bit of a road sprinter. I was confident in my sprint for this course, it suited me well, and I was happy I could actually pull it off.

"On the climb, Fletcher went a bit early. I got straight on his wheel and from that corner, Jonas was behind me, I was second wheel and I was pretty happy with my position. I knew I had good legs, I knew the power was there, it was just a matter of going at the right time and timing it so that I could cross the line first. And that’s what happened and I still can’t believe it. It’s unreal.

"The TT didn’t really go to plan. I got bronze in the crit yesterday, which I was happy with, but I was really looking for that win today. I was happy to deliver for the team and for my supporters, my mum, my dad and my coach. So, I’m so proud."

Results

Junior Men

  1. Alex Hewes (ARA Skip Capital) 2h33:56
  2. Jonas Shelverton (ARA Skip Capital) +2
  3. Fletcher Medway (Hamilton Wheelers CC) +4
  4. Hayden Stevens (Cannibal B Victorious) +6
  5. Jack Edwards (Rudyco Cycling Team) +9
  6. Oliver Ward (Norwood CC) +10
  7. Otis Jones (Geelong CC) +14
  8. Justin Evans (Norwood CC) +16
  9. Jaco Nel (Peel District CC) +43
  10. Connor Wright (ARA Skip Capital) +1:11

Pedal Mafia King of the Mountains Jersey

  • Jonas Shelverton (ARA Skip Capital)

Western Australia Most Combative Jersey

  • Jaco Nel (Peel District CC)

Junior Women

  1. Anna Dubier (ARA Skip Capital) 2h23:00
  2. Amelie Sanders (ARA Skip Capital) +0
  3. Leani van der Berg (ARA Skip Capital) +0
  4. Ruby Taylor (Praties Cycling Team) +0
  5. Hannah Gianatti (ARA Skip Capital) +0
  6. Maddie Wasserbaech (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) +0
  7. Georgia Gardiner (Canberra CC) +0
  8. Charlotte Lovett (Bathurst CC) +0
  9. Ava Schmidtke (Butterfields Ziptrak Racing) +0
  10. Chloe Bowen (ARA Skip Capital) +3

Pedal Mafia Queen of the Mountains Jersey

  • Hannah Gianatti (ARA Skip Capital)

Western Australia Most Combative Jersey

  • Anna Dubier (ARA Skip Capital)

Feature picture: Chris Auld/AusCycling