Six 2018 Champions return to Tasmania for 2019 Oceania Road Championships

Six 2018 champions headline the entries for the 2019 Oceania Road Championships to be held in Tasmania, Australia, 15-17, March.

Elite champions Sharlotte Lucas (New Zealand) and Chris Harper (Australia) return to defend their titles, under 19 time trial champions Anya Louw (Australia) and Luke Plapp (Australia) and road race Sarah Gigante (Australia) step up to the under 23 ranks and under 23 time trial champion Jake Marryatt (New Zealand) steps up to the elite category.

Australian Champions Michael Freiberg and Sarah Gigante are a sign of the strength of the fields and will be looking to add the Oceania titles to their palmares as will New Zealand Champion Georgia Christie who claimed bronze in the under 23 category last year.

The three day Championships will see over 150 riders contest the event with 12 titles to be awarded across road races and time trials for under 19, under 23 and elite for men and women.

Entry Lists | Event Website

The Championships return to Tasmania for the second year as part of a three year commitment with Tasmanian local and 2018 under 19 champion Anya Louw excited to again line up on home roads after success 12 months ago.

“Winning the U19 Oceania time trial was massive for me. It was the first race I had won on a national or Oceania level, and the result also secured my selection to represent Australia at the Junior Road World Championships alongside Oceania road race winner Sarah Gigante,” Louw explained less than a week out from competition.

The chance to race on home roads is something Louw is relishing as well as the chance to compete at another major UCI race in 2019 having competed at the Women’s Tour Down Under and Herald Sun Tour.

“It is so awesome for my home state of Tasmania to be able to hold a UCI Continental Championship. I live 15 minutes away from the road course and I can confidently say that there are no better roads in the country to host a challenging race that brings out the best from riders of all categories!”

After success at the junior level Louw steps up to the under 23 and elite women’s category where she has different goals this year.

“As I am stepping up into U23/elite women, my expectations are slightly lower and instead of putting pressure on myself this year, my goals are to simply race as hard as I can and enjoy the experience.

“As I jump into deeper waters this year, races such as the Oceania Championships are crucial for my development. It is a fantastic opportunity to set goals and tick the boxes in order to set up a great road season in Australia for the remainder of the year.”

The 2019 Oceania Road Championships are the final event of the 2019 UCI Oceania Tour, which included the Gravel and Tar Classic, New Zealand Cycle Classic and Herald Sun Tour in January and February.