AG Insurance - Soudal ready for Australian National Championships in Perth

 

AG Insurance - Soudal ready for Australian National Championships in Perth

AG Insurance - Soudal is set to open the 2026 road season at the Australian National Championships in Perth, with Anya Louw and Alex Manly representing the team across several key events during a busy week of racing.

Anya Louw will line up for the Elite Women’s Individual Time Trial on Thursday, followed by the road race on Sunday. After delivering an impressive podium performance in last year’s time trial, she returns to Perth with confidence and ambition.

Alex Manly will take on the criterium on Friday, where she is expected to be a strong contender, before also focusing on the road race later in the week. Together, Louw and Manly will form a small but determined duo in Sunday’s national road race.

Racing the national championships brings its own challenges, especially with limited team numbers and demanding conditions. With temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, heat management will play a crucial role throughout the week. The team has put extensive cooling protocols in place to ensure optimal performance.

The courses remain unchanged from last year, allowing the riders to draw on experience and thorough preparation as they take on Australia’s most prestigious national titles.

Dani Christmas, Sports Director:

“We’re ready to kick off the 2026 road season with a busy week here in Perth.
Anya is looking forward to the TT on Thursday after achieving a fantastic podium performance last year, while Alex will have a good shot at the crit on Friday. They will form a small but mighty team together in the road race on Sunday, as always with nationals it’s completely different to how we race 99% of the year. It is difficult to control a race with just 2 riders so we need to race smart and have a little good fortune but we’re ready for that. A big challenge here is the weather, in stark contrast to most of Europe we are applying all cooling protocols to help the girls manage the 35+ degree heat experienced the past days.
The courses remain the same as last year so everyone knows exactly what’s coming and the girls are well prepared.”

 

More race information: https://roadnationals.org.au/