Mike O'Connor
Australian riders Tiffany Cromwell and Brendan Johnston claimed elite victories at the 2026 SEVEN Gravel Race in Nannup on Saturday, with both riders winning in solo fashion on the 125km course.
Cromwell successfully defended her women’s title and became the first three-time winner of the event after previous victories in 2023 and 2025.
Johnston, who also won the race in 2024, attacked in the closing kilometres to defeat reigning Australian champion Mark O’Brien in the men’s race.
More than 2,000 riders from 29 countries took part in the event, which forms part of the UCI Gravel World Series. Riders faced cool conditions and overnight rain before clearer weather arrived later in the morning.
In the elite women’s race, Cromwell gradually reduced the lead group to three riders alongside Matilda Reynolds and Maria Laurie. She made her decisive move on the closing loop, quickly opening a gap that extended to more than a minute by the finish.
Cromwell crossed the line in 4:28:52, with Laurie second in 4:31:22 and Reynolds third a second later.
“It feels great,” Cromwell said after the race.
“I haven’t had the best last couple of months, a bit of soul searching, so that definitely helped with the confidence.”
She said the race was tactical despite the small field, adding she relied on experience to judge her rivals before increasing the pace on the climbs.
Cromwell also said the event provided valuable preparation ahead of the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships, which will be held on the same course later this year.
“I know we’re going to have a super strong field line up,” she said.
“From the setup to the bike to the pressures, to the training, I know what I need to do.”
The men’s race featured a strong field including former winners Johnston, O’Brien, Tasman Nankervis and Adam Blazevic.
Repeated attacks reduced the lead group to Johnston, O’Brien and Harrison Bebbington in the closing stages. Johnston then broke clear near the finish to secure victory in 3:55:56, seven seconds ahead of O’Brien, with Bebbington 22 seconds further back.
“This is my fifth straight UCI win, so that was something I had in my mind,” Johnston said.
“I think it’s just like the hardest we’ve got here in Australia.”
He said knowledge of the course could prove useful ahead of the world championships later in the year.
Elite Men
- Brendan Johnston — 3:55:56
- Mark O’Brien — 3:56:03
- Harrison Bebbington — 3:56:25
Elite Women
- Tiffany Cromwell — 4:28:52
- Maria Laurie — 4:31:22
- Matilda Reynolds — 4:31:23
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
