Aussies revel in home crowds at world championships

The crowds have grown for the road races, and the Australian fans packing the roadside have provided great inspiration for the Australian team, more used to racing on foreign soil.

A view of the peloton competing while fans cheer during the 95th UCI Road World Championships 2022, Men Elite Road Race a 266,9km race from Helensburgh to Wollongong (Photo by Con Chronis/Getty Images) Credit: Con Chronis/Getty Images

A consistent theme of the Australian athletes at the Wollongong world championships has been praise of the local crowds, saying both how much fun it was, and how much inspiration it provided to their performances out on course.

The crowds have grown significantly since the road races started, with the fans turning out in force for both the Saturday and Sunday road races across the Wollongong course. The composition of the crowds are both locals joining in with the festival atmosphere and cycling fans from around Australia and abroad.

The climbs of Dumfries Avenue and Ramah Avenue were the focus for the fans, local homeowners pulling out sunshades and their TVs to watch the race both on TV and on the road, while youngsters set up sales of cordial and baked goods.

There was a front-yard impromptu gig from a rock band starting with ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’, and of course the famous pink-onesied nature strip runner, specifically referenced as being an inspiration for Zoe Backstedt on her long solo ride to the rainbow jersey in the junior women’s race.

The elite women put in an attacking performance during their race, and were spurred on by the fans when racing for the win, and also when out the back of the race.

“That was really special,” said Alex Manly, Australia’s highest-placed finisher in the race, “though I felt a little bit bad, they were saying ‘come on, stay there’ and I was like ‘I’m trying, I’m trying really hard’.

“But it was nice to have familiar voices out there. It really gives you energy to see familiar faces, hear your name or even Aussie accents around.”

Brodie Chapman was the other Australian in the final chasing group with Manly, shivering away at the finish with the wet and cold, but still smiling from the memory of the fans.

“I can’t tell you how much it means,” said Chapman, “we all know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we’re going to soak it up, like we’ve been soaking up the rain into our bones.”

The Under-19 women had a similar experience even with the smaller crowds out for their earlier race start.

“I knew this was going to be insane, but lining up on the startline I heard a few people from home going ‘go Wagga Wagga’,” said Bronte Stewart. “I kind of went ‘wow, we’re here, everyone’s watching me, let’s go, let’s do this.”

“Everyone was cheering me on and they really helped,” the top-placed finisher for Australia in the junior womens road road race, Talia Appleton, said. “Everyone was like ‘go Aussie’ all the time, and you could really hear them, so it was an awesome day.”

Ben O’Connor only got into Australia a few days ahead of the road race, but was impressed by the fans and the festival atmosphere around Wollongong.

“It’s been a long time since there’s been a big cycling event like this, obviously there’s the Tour Down Under, but this is bigger than that,” said O’Connor speaking on Friday. “We can show ourselves and hopefully over the weekend there’s a lot of people who can come down from Sydney and watch.”

Matthews has tasted World Championships success before in the road race at an Australia-hosted World Championships, winning the Under 23 men’s race in Geelong in 2010. Now back in Australia after five years absence, Matthews is trying to recreate the feeling of that win in his preparation for this race.

“I’ve been trying to replicate everything I did that year,” said Matthews. “We went back to Canberra and we did basically the same preparation at the AIS, using the facilities there and thinking back to that great moment in Geelong. It was a long time ago now, but it’s been on my mind almost every single moment, knowing it is possible to achieve.

“Coming back to Australia after so many years away feels surreal and the support we’ve had since we’ve been here. I’ve spent almost half of my life in Europe now, so to speak my home language and be around my people is incredible. I’m just trying to absorb all the positive energy that I can.”

Crowds are expected to line the course of the Wollongong city circuit, all the Australians competing at the world championships so far noting the positive effect of the home crowd while racing.

“It’s always special to be in Australia,” said Durbridge. “We’ve been inundated with fans yelling out around the course.”