Sport

Eddy pulls off underdog stunner to be crowned elite national champion

By Oliver Shedden

Jan 22, 2026

Pat Eddy took out his first elite national road championship. Photo by Supplied

Echuca native and cycling prodigy Pat Eddy has pulled off a true David and Goliath feat to take out his first elite national road championship.

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Eddy staved off the world class might of Jayco AlUla, beating three-time title winner Luke Plapp (2022-24) and reigning champion Luke Durbridge (2025) to claim the 177km Australian National Road Championships victory on Sunday, January 11 in Perth.

Despite Durbridge looking likely to go back-to-back with a strong lead out in front with three laps to go, Eddy, with Team Brennan teammate Oliver Bleddyn duelled with Plapp, who decided to chase down his teammate on the final lap.

As Durbridge faded at a critical juncture, it left Plapp, who is a Grand Tour winner and top 100 road cyclist in the world, and Eddy to battle it out for a finish atop the podium with the Echuca-Moama Cycling Club alum crossing the line first and celebrating with arms spread.

The race was particularly poignant for the 23-year-old as his professional cycling contract with Dutch team Picnic PostNL wasn’t renewed for 2026, making the decision to step down from the WorldTour and join Australia Continental outfit Team Brennan.

Eddy is a former two-time under-19 national time trial champion and one-time road champion and has been in-and-around the podium at national events since 2019.

He also achieved a life-long dream of racing in a Grand Tour, taking part in the 2025 Vuelta a Espana or Tour of Spain in August and September.

Eddy is currently taking on the Tour Down Under with the ARA Australian Cycling Team.