RoadNats 2025: Para-cycling, Intellectually Impaired, Deaf and Transplant time trial results

Twenty-two new time trial national champions have been crowned across para-cycling, intellectually impaired, deaf and transplant classifications on the second day of the 2025 AusCycling Road National Championships in Perth.

Across all classifications 48 starters tackled two or more laps of the 9.9 kilometres circuit at Bold Park, starting with H1 para-cyclist Charles Brice from Port Adelaide Cycling Club and finishing with C5 para-cyclist Matthew Engesser from Neo Cycling Club.

Among the winners were ARA Australian Cycling Team athletes Darren Hicks, Alana Forster, Carol Cooke and Stuart Jones.

For 63-year-old Cooke, a living legend of the Paralympic movement, today's time trial marked her last race against the clock.

"It's great and I have no qualms about finishing up. It's time and I'm really happy that I get to be in beautiful Perth and somewhere different to finish it off," Cooke said.

"I just hope that I've left a legacy that it doesn't matter what number is attached to you if you enjoy doing something, you can keep doing it.

"I've seen para-cycling change from 2011 to now and I'm very proud of how I've been able to help get it to where it is now.

"There's still a long way to go and I'll probably still be around bugging people until the day I die most likely and just to make sure there is inclusiveness and equality.

Cooke's swansong to a storied career will arrive on Saturday morning in the road race in Kings Park.

Carol Cooke has won her final women's T2 time trial national championship. (Picture: Chris Auld)

"I'm just hoping to get up that hill into Kings Park. I said to Matt Keenan that I would have a smile on my face crossing the finish line but now I'm thinking it might be more a grimace just to get up that hill."

As one para-cycling career ends, another one begins for Tara Neyland, the most recent women's winner of the Dirty Warrny — a 250-kilometre gravel race.

The 29-year-old from Melbourne was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in 2023 and has embarked on the para-cycling journey in recent months.

That journey looks full of promise after a scintillating debut performance in the women's C4 classification, winning by one minute and 29 seconds ahead of established ARA Australian Cycling Team star and two-time Paralympic medallist Meg Lemon.

"First Road Nationals in general and first para-cycling race so I debuted with the time trial today, and my first ever time trial race as well," Neyland said.

Tara Neyland is the new women's C4 time trial national champion. (Picture: Chris Auld)

"It's a challenge, it's very hard the whole time. I really enjoyed the course, there's a few technical bits and I think I probably should have reconned it a little bit more.

"A couple of corners in the finishing shoot weren't perfect but I think there was something in it for everyone in that course and it was really enjoyable.

"For the next year it's probably a big learning curve, especially within para-cycling with time trialling, road racing, some track and that's all pretty new for me but I'll still be doing a lot of off-road stuff because that's where my heart is and where I found my love for cycling.

"So I'll be doing all the things if I can and then we'll see what the next few years can be."

Results - National Champions

T2 Women

• Carol Cooke (St Kilda CC)

C1 Women

• Kaitlyn Schurmann (Port Adelaide CC)

C2 Women

• Tahlia Clayton-Goodie (Geelong and Surf Coast CC)

C3 Women

• Emma Mickle (Southern Masters CC)

C4 Women

• Tara Neyland (Brunswick CC)

C5 Women

• Alana Forster (Ballarat Sebastopol CC)

Tandem Women (B)

• Madelene McNeil and Laura Tomlinson [pilot] (Port Adelaide CC)

Transplant Women

• Kate Burton (Northern Beaches CC)

H1 Men

• Charles Brice (Port Adelaide CC)

H3 Men

• Alex Welsh (Lifecycle CC)

H4 Men

• Richard Williams (Australian Time Trials Association)

H5 Men

• Samuel Germein (Port Adelaide CC)

T2 Men

• Stuart Jones (Parramatta CC)

C2 Men

• Darren Hicks (Norwood CC)

C3 Men

• Kyle Willis (Moreton Bay CC)

C4 Men

• Hayden Long (Australian Time Trials Association)

C5 Men

• David Bryant (Albany CC)

Tandem Men (B)

• Sam Harding and David Watts [pilot] (Peel District CC)

AWII 1 Men

• Cameron Marshall (Hawthorn CC)

Transplant Men

• Perry Judd (Hamilton Wheelers CC)

Feature picture: Chris Auld/AusCycling