'A class act, a gentleman' – Harper quick to back Plapp in Australian title hunt

Chris Harper and Luke Plapp of Team Jayco-AlUla out front at the 2024 Federation University Australian Road Championships
Chris Harper and Luke Plapp of Team Jayco-AlUla out front at the 2024 Federation University Australian Road Championships (Image credit: Con Chronis/AusCycling)

When two-time winner Luke Plapp and Jayco-AIUIa teammate Chris Harper went off out the front of the men’s elite road race at Australia’s Road National Championships with more than 100km to go, it wasn’t long before the question turned from will they make it to  - which one will claim the title?

It was a discussion that raged on for lap after lap around the course, given that if Plapp won that would mean three titles in a row. On the other hand, if the hard-working Harper claimed the victory for himself, it would be an incredible reward for his unstinting efforts as an ever-reliable domestique.

But it turned out that, even though the pair had only been teammates for barely a week, there was no such consternation out on the road.

Simone Giuliani
Australia Editor

Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.