Racing for the sack of potatoes, a homemade cardigan and a national title

Devils Cardigan 2023, the race to decide the Australian gravel title
Devils Cardigan 2023, the race to decide the Australian gravel title (Image credit: Kristina Vackova)

Gravel racing prizes aren’t exactly known for being conventional and Tasmania’s Devils Cardigan is no exception. Forget the shiny trophy with the name of the latest victor proudly engraved on a plaque, that won't keep you warm as the post-race celebrations rage on through the cold Tasmanian winter's night – the wooly cardigan with the name of each winner sewn on it will and the sack of potatoes the rider on the top step of the podium gets will help fuel many more rides.

Still, a second year of hosting the Australian Gravel National Championships means the unconventional prizes will again be accompanied by one of the most traditional and coveted of awards across the disciplines of cycling, the title of national champion 

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.

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