The first gold medals were handed out in two cross-country formats on the opening day of the 2026 GWM Mountain Bike National Championships at Mt Buller.
Riders contested the e-bike and team relay races across the XCO course.
Jess Hoskin made it three straight national titles in the elite women’s e-bike XCO, overcoming a recent shoulder fracture to produce a convincing win.
Jess Hoskin won her third straight e-bike national title.
Just three weeks on from her crash, Hoskin controlled the race from the outset, and stopped the clock in 56:44.54 to finish ahead of Connor Mielke and Jodie Mielke.
The ride was as measured as it was dominant, with battery management and technical control both playing a role on the course.
In the elite men’s race, Nathan Mawson broke through for his first national title, holding his nerve in a tactical battle with Thiago Boaretto, who sat within striking distance for much of the race.
Nathan Mawson on the way to his first national title.
Mawson edged clear late to take the win by nearly 20 seconds.
“Up until the second last lap, I think I broke him across the back there, but he hung on a lot longer than I thought,” Mawson said.
“It’s a bit of a mind game not knowing how much battery each other has. We’re on similar bikes with similar battery sizes, so you kind of have an idea, but it depends how you’re using the modes.”
The cross-country relay offered riders a chance to stretch the legs on the full course and it didn’t take long for the pace to lift.
In the Open race, Jack Ward set the tone with a blistering opening lap, putting more than a minute into the field before handing over to Sarah Tucknott and Jon Odam to extend their lead.
Connor Wright, one of the standout junior riders in the country, produced the fastest lap of the relay with an 11:44.49 to see them take the win.
Connor Wright posted the fastest lap during the team relay.
The relay doubled as an early marker ahead of Friday’s XCC, where Ward and Wright will be heavily backed to defend their respective elite and junior crowns.
In the junior relay, the Bendigo MTB team of Oliver Lorrain, Delilah Mertens, Nina Garden and Corey Larson took the gold in the Club race.
The GWM Mountain Bike National Championships continue tomorrow with short-track racing and downhill seeding.
RESULTS
ELITE WOMEN E-BIKE
🥇 Jess Hoskin (Caloundra Off-Road Cycling Association)
🥈 Connor Mielke (Greenvalleys MTB Club)
🥉 Jodie Mielke (Greenvalleys MTB Club)
ELITE MEN E-BIKE
🥇 Nathan Mawson (You Yangs MTB Club)
🥈 Thiago Boaretto (Greenvalleys MTB Club)
🥉 Marty Broman (Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers Inc)
XCR – OPEN
🥇 Jack Ward, Sarah Tucknott, Jon Odam, Connor Wright
🥈 Cameron Ivory, Giancarlo Costagliiola, Amaya Shaw, Jack Barwick
🥉 Fletcher Mason, Jayne Grubits, Adrian Cooper, Jordan Enright
XCR – JUNIOR CLUB
🥇 Oliver Lorrain, Delilah Mertens, Nina Garden, Corey Larson (Bendigo MTB – Cyclones)
🥈 Maxi Amidy, Hugo Wawrzonek, Mia Davies, Jordan Trevor (Hunter MTB)
🥉 Flynn Vaughan, Ruby Manbridge, James Manbridge, Adam (Bendigo MTB – Hurricanes)
XCR – JUNIOR TEAM
🥇 Benjamin Swan, Max Teague, Sylvia Dagg, Austin Trotter (PCS Juniors)
🥈 Oscar Butler-Goward, Lauren Good, Evie Trotter, Lucas Aarekol (RT Full Send)
Full results can be found here.
Photo Credit: Matt Rousu Photography