AusCycling CX National Series 2025 Preview: Rds 1 & 2
This weekend the opening rounds of the 2025 AusCycling Cyclocross National Series (CXNS) are headed to Belmont Criterium Track in Geelong. Held on the traditional lands of the Wadawurring people, the track is a new one for high-level cyclocross in Australia, and promises a mix of grassy sections, sand, and the tarmac of the criterium track.
Here’s what you need to know!
The course
The venue, just a stone’s throw away from the route of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the 2010 UCI Road World Championship circuit, is located an hour’s drive south of Melbourne, or around 90 minutes for those flying from interstate into Tullamarine airport.
As the name suggests, the venue is a regular host of criterium racing for the Geelong Cycling Club, and isn’t just a track around a city block – it’s a purpose-built tarmac track that features several sharp turns and plenty of changes of direction, although not much elevation change*.
There hasn’t been a cyclocross race held at the venue since 2019, but we’re expecting to see a relatively flat course that alternates between the fast-rolling tarmac of the crit circuit and slower sections through the grass (and even mud, depending on Victoria’s weather).
Videos from the Vault
It’s all well and good to have some squiggles on a social media tile, but what’s the best way to get an idea of how the course looks on the ground?
The lack of previous cyclocross racing at Belmont Criterium Circuit makes really in-depth analysis hard to do, but after some internet sleuthing we managed to find some footage from a race run at the same venue by Geelong Cycling Club in November 2018, as well as a more recent video of a lap of the tarmac criterium track.
The inside line
Although Victoria has had a dry autumn so far, there’s still the promise of mud in Geelong.
Photo: Brad Higgins
With our usual method of internet research proving less helpful than we’d hoped, we contacted course designer and overall CX fan Brad Higgins. He’s a dedicated commissaire and the race director of Fruits of the Valley Cyclocross, held every year since 2021 in the Victorian country town of Shepparton. He’s not a Geelong native, but stepped up when AusCycling were seeking a race director for the Geelong rounds of the CXNS.
Below is a transcription of our conversation, lightly edited for clarity and fluidity.
CXDU: What can riders expect from this weekend’s course in Geelong?
BH: [A] fast paced course, trying to utilise every depression, rise and off-camber surface. [We’re] trying to keep sealed surfaces to a minimum duration between points of the course. There’ll be a pinwheel in the course on Sunday, but if you’ve raced Fruits of the Valley you’ll find it smaller than the one we usually do in Shepp.
CXDU: Sounds like there’ll be plenty of time on the grass. Will there be any sections of sand or loose gravel to worry about?
The prospect of a transition from tarmac to mud fills us with excitement and trepidation in equal measure.
Photo: Brad Higgins
BH: [Geelong CC and AusCycling] are bringing in sand for a section under the Princess Highway bridge.
CXDU: Any moisture to worry about?
BH: A couple of puddles that’ll feature on both the adults and kids courses, but there’ll be an option to go around.
CXDU: Here’s the big question: what tyres would you recommend?
BH: Probably a low intermediate tread. [Note: This would probably include the likes of a Vittoria Terreno Dry, Challenge Grifo, WTB Riddler, or Maxxis Rambler.]
CXDU: Anything else folks should know?
BH: The kids course will be 2km long and include the sand and puddles, to give them a lot of the technical features that the others get.
After feedback from last year’s national rounds the pit area is going to be much more in compliance with UCI rules.
The Weather
If you attended rounds of the CXNS in 2024, you would be forgiven for thinking that cyclocross wasn’t a winter sport. Skies were bright and sunny in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney for the first six rounds of the series, and it took until the National Championships were held in Ballarat in August for the winter jackets and beanies to come out.
Victoria has had a fairly dry autumn thus far in 2025, and although there were a few showers in Geelong earlier this week, we expect that won’t do much more than settle the dust.
The weather on both race days looks pleasant enough, with expected top temperatures of 17ºC on Saturday and 19ºC on Sunday.
Practical considerations
Entries
If you still need to enter the racing this weekend, entries are open until 11:59pm AEST this Wednesday.
Enter Saturday: https://entryboss.cc/races/25157
Enter Sunday: https://entryboss.cc/races/25159
Technical Guide
If you’re looking for the technical guide for this weekend (containing the series rules, as well as , you can find that here.
WhatsApp channel
If you want to be part of the WhatsApp channel for quick communication of race information on the weekend, you can find that here.
We’ve included a gallery of other handy information below, including schedules for both days and parking information.
