Australian team for 2022 UCI Road World Championships, Wollongong

AusCycling has named the Australian team that will race for rainbow jerseys at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong this September.

Twenty-nine cyclists will don the green and gold in this rare opportunity on home soil from September 18–25.

Women Elite

Grace Brown, Australian cyclist for the Australian Cycling Team at the UCI Road World Championships

Photo: Tim de Waele / Getty Images

Two changes have been made to Australia’s all-conquering women’s squad from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth gold medallists Georgia Baker and Grace Brown will feature alongside Birmingham teammates Sarah Roy, Alexandra Manly and Brodie Chapman.

Experienced climber Amanda Spratt will return for her 10th appearance at a World Championships. The former national champion from Sydney’s Blue Mountains is Australia’s most decorated active rider with two road race medals (2nd – 2018, 3rd – 2019).

And a childhood dream will come true for 26-year-old Josie Talbot, who will make her debut on a course that passes just metres from her home in Wollongong.

Amanda Spratt, Australian cyclist for the Australian Cycling Team at the UCI Road World Championships

Photo: Casey Gibson

“This was a very difficult selection as we have such a big and talented pool of athletes to select from,” said Rory Sutherland, Australian Cycling Team Elite Road Coordinator.

“Athletes are always proud to race in the green and gold; doing so on home soil is a dream that probably comes once in a lifetime. I'm excited for the group that have been assembled.”

For Spratt, these World Championships will have added significance.

“It’s always an honour and privilege to wear the green and gold, so I am so excited to be named in the team for my 10th World Championships,’’ she said.

“Even more special is that it is a home World Championships that covers roads I grew up training on. My first ever senior Worlds were in Geelong, so I know how amazing it is to have this event on home soil and the impact it can have.

“I’m really excited when I look at the team we have and think it’s one of the overall strongest teams we have had in years. Alex and Grace, in particular, have had really strong results recently and put their hand up as our leaders, but I think our biggest strength will be having numbers in the final.”

Grace Brown and Georgia Baker will race the individual time trial.

Georgia Baker (Northern Districts Cycling Club, TAS – debut*)
Grace Brown (St Kilda CC, VIC – 3rd appearance)
Brodie Chapman (University of Queensland CC, QLD – 4th appearance)
Alexandra Manly (Central Districts CC, SA – debut)
Sarah Roy (Parklife CC, NSW – 6th appearance)
Amanda Spratt (Penrith CC, NSW – 10th appearance)
Josie Talbot (Camden CC, NSW – debut)

*Elite-level appearances for Australia at UCI Road World Championships

To learn more about these riders, read our Elite Women rider guide.

Men Elite

Nick Schultz, Australian cyclist for the Australian Cycling Team at the UCI Road World Championships

Photo: Rob Jones

Australia’s men’s squad is headlined by Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley and 2015 silver medallist Michael Matthews, winner of nine Grand Tour stages.

After claiming silver in the under-23 time trial last year, reigning national champion Luke Plapp will make his elite debut on the road.

Also joining the team will be Tour de France stage winners Ben O’Connor and Simon Clarke, 2011 under-23 world champion Luke Durbridge, 2015 national champion Heinrich Haussler, and Queensland climber Nick Schultz after his excellent Tour debut.

Plapp will contest the individual time trial. (Former world champion Rohan Dennis was unavailable for selection due to family reasons).

Michael Matthews, Australian cyclist for the Australian Cycling Team at the UCI Road World Championships

Photo: Rob Jones

Last time Australia hosted the UCI Road World Championships, Matthews won the under-23 road race in Geelong. Twelve years on, the Canberran aims to write history again on home shores.

“Winning the under-23 world title on home soil was really a dream come true coming into the pros. Now, having it back in Australia again when I’m really at the top of my game is a dream come true,” Matthews said.

“I really want to make the most of it – and have a great time – and hopefully stand on that top step. We’re going there 100 per cent for that goal: to win the medal for Australia.

“We have a great team for a course like this. This course suits Australians really well, for the races that we grew up doing. I think it was quite difficult for the selectors to put it down to a group of eight guys, but they’ve done a great job and I think the team’s going to be super strong.

“We have a lot of guys for different sort of areas of the race, and hopefully we can play the race into our favour and then do our thing in the final.”

Simon Clarke (Carnegie Caulfield CC, VIC – 11th appearance*)
Luke Durbridge (Midland CC, WA – 8th appearance)
Heinrich Haussler (Inverell CC, NSW – 6th appearance)
Jai Hindley (Midland CC, WA – 2nd appearance)
Michael Matthews (Vikings CC, ACT – 10th appearance)
Ben O’Connor (Peel District CC, WA – debut)
Lucas Plapp (Brunswick CC, VIC – debut)
Nicholas Schultz (Sunshine Coast CC, QLD – 4th appearance)

*Elite-level appearances for Australia at UCI Road World Championships

To learn more about the selected riders, read our Elite Men rider guide.

Men Under-23

Five Australians will contest the under-23 men’s road race on September 23.

The five riders have been representing Australia at the Tour de l’Avenir in France this week.

Matthew Dinham (Manly Warringah CC, NSW)
Dylan George (Manly Warringah CC, NSW)
Dylan Hopkins (Canberra CC, ACT)
Jensen Plowright (Hawthorn CC, VIC)
Rudy Porter (Carnegie Caulfield CC, VIC)

Junior Under-19

Australia’s junior under-19 selections were announced earlier this year.

Men Junior

Oscar Chamberlain (Canberra Cycling Club, ACT)
William Eaves (City of Burnie Cycling Club, TAS)
Hamish McKenzie (Northern Districts Cycling Club, TAS)
Cameron Rogers (Canberra Cycling Club, ACT)

Women Junior

Talia Appleton (Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club/Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, VIC)
Belinda Bailey (Bendigo & District Cycling Club, VIC)
Isabelle Carnes (Balmoral Cycling Club, QLD)
Bronte Stewart (Tolland Cycling Club, NSW)
Lucinda Stewart (Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club, VIC)

Mixed Team Time Trial

The composition of Australia’s mixed team time trial squad will be decided closer to the event.

About the 2022 UCI Road World Championships

Photo: UCI / SWpix

When: September 18 – 25, 2022

Where: Wollongong, NSW, Australia

The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for road cycling organised by the governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

They consist of road races and individual time trials for under-19 men and women, under-23 men, and elite men and women.

In 2022, for the first time, world titles will also be awarded for under-23 women.

Since 2019, the championships have also included a mixed team time trial relay.

The UCI Road World Championships are held in a different location each year. Wollongong 2022 will be their second appearance in Australia, after Geelong and Melbourne hosted the 2010 edition.

At elite level, Australia has won six road world titles with Michael Rogers (2003–05), Cadel Evans (2009), and Rohan Dennis (2018–19).

The winner of each event is entitled to wear the rainbow jersey of world champion for the next 12 months.

More information

For more information, visit the Wollongong 2022 event website and read AusCycling’s first-look course analysis from last year.