UCI Gravel World Series – Brendan Johnston, Justine Barrow conquer climbs of Nannup

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Brendan Johnston (Giant) continued his roll at SEVEN in Nannup, Western Australia on Saturday adding victory at the UCI Gravel World Series elite men's race to his mountain bike win of last weekend at the AusCycling Marathon National Championships. 

In the elite women's race reigning national gravel champion Justine Barrow capitalised on the climb-heavy course to take out the elite women's title, delivering a clear indicator of just how far her form rebuild had come after a difficult shoulder injury recovery.

The winners, who were both making their debut at the event with 3,200m of vertical ascent over a 125km course, crossed the line solo shedding the home-state second-placed riders, Mark Chong and Cassia Boglio (Liv Brazilian Butterfly Racing p/b Willing & Twin Peaks). Annabel Fisher was third ahead of Peta Mullens (Liv Brazilian Butterfly).

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Brendon Davids came third in the elite men's race, despite having to pick himself up off the gravel after a crash, while Oliver Stenning (Blackshaw Racing) came fourth ahead of Nicolas Roche. It was a tough edition for the 2023 and 2022 men's winners, with last year's victor, Tasman Nankervis (BMC-Shimano), losing his chance to defend the title when he suffered an early flat but then chased back to take 12th. 2022 winner Adam Blazevic had been unwell in the lead into the event, but still lined up in the hopes that he was well enough recovered. He made it into the lead group during the first part of the race but then had to pull out.

"SEVEN Gravel was brutal," said winner Johnston in an Instagram post, with the rider in the middle of a brief return to his home nation in the midst of his Life Time Grand Prix commitments. "I made the difference in the final 30km of the tough circuit. So stoked to finish this 4-week race block across 2 countries and 4 states with another win. 

"Would be nice to say I was heading home now for a couple of weeks rest however these legs need to log some kilometres ahead of Unbound in 3 short weeks!"

Around 1500 riders lined up in Nannup – more than the population of the small town itself – to sample the terrain that will play host to the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2026. While the rain settled the dust on the roads the day before the event, the clouds cleared in time for the start at 7a.m, with riders heading out for the 125km event through pine plantations, state forests and farmland for anything from the four hours, five minutes and 11 seconds it took for winner Johnston to the ten-hour cut off.

Nannup is one of two UCI Gravel World Series events in Australia, with Gravelista in Beechworth in October of 2023 one of the first races that riders could use to qualify for the 2024 Gravel World Championships in Belgium. Australian gravel champion Connor Sens and Courtney Sherwell claimed the victories at the Beechworth round.

The Western Australian race is also one of two rounds in the world series this weekend, with another field which is packed to capacity lining up for 3Rides in Germany on Sunday, with riders expected to start including Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Greg van Avermaet, Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Sanne Cant (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Ivar Slik (Wilier Triestina Factory).