Gravel used to be an irreverent approach to what would be considered a measure of success in cycling, and until just a few years ago, the Australian Gravel National Championships were more of a sideshow than a serious competition for elite riders. But a look at Saturday's AusCycling Gravel National Championships at Devil's Cardigan showed that has changed.

It was a far cry from the days when elite riders of both sexes combined numbered fewer than 10 and only bragging rights were up for grabs. Cycling specialists rushed back from Unbound, ready for Saturday's event in the heart of the southern hemisphere's winter.

The field was thick and contentious. The 2,300-meter elevation gain and 106-km race in the scenic northeastern part of the island was fiercely contested.

Brendan Johnston (Giant) was in a commanding position early on, and Courtney Sherwell pulled away from defending champion Justin Barrow to win in a tight sprint to the finish. For Sherwell, this result "meant absolutely everything.

Sherwell has won many of Australia's important gravel races, from the long-distance Dirty Warnie to the Gravelista UCI Gravel World Series in Beechworth to the Sutton Grange gravel event in her home town but winning the national title was a significant addition to her gravel titles.

"I hope this means I will have more support as I head into international racing, which is my goal," Sherwell told Cycling News a few hours after her victory." I can show where I belong in a race against the best riders in the world." Sherwell traveled to the United States for a relatively short time earlier this year to focus on the Waffle Ride Tripel Crown in Belgium. There she finished second overall behind Sofia Gomez Villafane (Specialized), who won the Lifetime Grand Prix Series last year. The 35-year-old from Bendigo, who also won the Australian Marathon MTB title last month, hopes to become one of 30 women vying for top finishes in the seven-race series, including Unbound.

"I applied for the Lifetime Grand Prix this year but didn't make it. I plan to apply again for 2025 and hope the results this time are more than enough to get me a ticket to that event." And I would like to stay in the U.S. longer, if possible, and participate in a big, prestigious one-day event."

For Sherwell, the title may present an opportunity, but for Johnston, who has already grabbed the chance with both hands, the desire to win a second Gravel National stripe means little.

Giant Rider entered the Lifetime Series for the first time last year, finally allowing the longtime Australian contender to enter the international field and enjoy cycling full time. 2023 will see him finish seventh on the series leaderboard, making him the first year He has been among the strongest competitors in the U.S. gravel world since. Despite suffering a puncture at Unbound, he is in fifth place after two events.

Johnston may not have had to prove anything or take any chances in reclaiming the Gravel National title, but now that he is on the world's top gravel stage, it is clear that he takes pride in producing results for his sponsors and country.

"I felt very pressured. I wanted to win the race and I think I felt the pressure because the course didn't really suit me.

The rider, who also won his sixth national marathon mountain bike title earlier this year, added that it was a very different race and very different circumstances than when he won in Noosa, Queensland, in 2022, adding that while he raced well then, "today I felt I showed my strength. I felt I was able to show my strength," he said.

Johnston has grown and evolved as a rider thanks to the opportunities provided by the international growth of gravel. The prestige and power of the national gravel title also evolved without question.