While the nationals attract fields of elite riders from all around Australia, the country racing club belied its size with several of its members picking up podium finishes and strong results.
Trent Stevenson kicked off proceedings with success in the men’s club criterium for Team Harlequin on day one, placing second to fire his team to the top placing.
Trudy Stevenson experienced similar success in the women’s club crits, placing fourth in another successful event for the Harlequin.
Meanwhile, rising talents and Victorian Junior Road Series competitors Max Trewhella and Levi Hone made promising debuts at the nationals, both as bottom-age riders.
Trewhella defied his age in the under-19 men’s criterium to place 12th in the 40-strong field.
The 104km under-19 road race then awaited Trewhella and clubmate Hone on Saturday, battling both a 70-cyclist field and 30℃ heat over the nine-lap, 11.6km course.
Hone went on to cross the line in 16th place before going on to place 30th in the junior men’s time trial on Monday.
The Stevensons were again in the thick of the action with Trent finishing second in the age 40 to 44 Gran Fondo, followed by Trudy in the 50 to 54 division.
Ben Oman kept the run of podiums flowing into the third day of the nationals, picking up silver in the para men’s transplant.
Michael Taylor kept his run of silvers in the H3 para men’s road race alive with another at the 2023 Nationals.
The 32.4km Club Team Time Trials were also successful for the Stevensons, with both picking up another pair of silver medals to cap off a strong 2023 campaign.
EMCC president Ray Hamilton praised the club’s representatives for their performances.
“We’re a smaller club but we had a good number of representatives who were fantastic,” Hamilton said.
Meanwhile, former Echuca cyclist Pat Eddy was also in action at the Road Nats after a season of racing in Europe with Development Team DSM.
Eddy placed seventh in the under-23 men’s criterium and 11th in the road race.
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