TrackNats 2025: Alyssa Polites marks return with a national IP title, Alessia McCaig defends sprint crown

Alyssa Polites has returned to the track in a winning way at the 2025 AusCycling Track National Championships in Brisbane, racing her name onto the elite women's individual pursuit honour roll.

Polites, who had not raced at TrackNats since 2022 due to focusing on her road career, became the first elite women's national champion over the new 4000-metre distance of the individual pursuit after defeating Claudia Marcks in the gold medal final by 1.786 seconds.

The 22-year-old Victorian led from start to finish around Anna Meares Velodrome and stopped the clock at 4:42.154, marginally slower than her top qualifier performance of 4:42.029.

She now has a second elite national championship on her palmarès, adding to her Madison win in 2022 with Maeve Plouffe.

"I'm really happy with it, I put a little bit of work behind this and I've had a few setbacks with concussion, and kind of made this my new goal after putting away ProVelo Super League," Polites said.

Alyssa Polites is the 2025 elite women's individual pursuit national champion. (Picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam)

"I was hoping for a little faster today if I'm honest but I'm quite happy to be consistent coming off a road tour, which is really hard in itself, and yeah prep wise, can't be too mad about it.

"I'm riding with happy legs again and its coming with a few results now which is a little bit more motivating and confidence is also coming back. It's really good to be back and I'm feeling the love."

Two-time junior scratch race world champion Nicole Duncan (New South Wales) completed the podium with her first elite medal in her first year as an elite rider.

Polites' fellow Victorian and close friend Alessia McCaig laid down another flawless TrackNats sprint performance en route to defending her elite women's sprint crown.

The 21-year-old went undefeated through every round of the two-day sprint competition after topping qualifying on Tuesday and calmly cruised to the national title in the gold medal final versus Sophie Watts following a crash from the Queenslander that effectively ended any chance of a closely fought battle.

A bandaged Watts bravely went out for the second match sprint of the final, but this proved to be a formality when both riders continued rolling around the track as the bell rang.

McCaig now has six individual elite nationals to her name since winning her first as a 19-year-old in 2023.

"Pretty successful day, it's unfortunate that it finished the way that it did but I'm still super happy with all of my rides getting all the way into the gold medal final," McCaig said.

Alessia McCaig has now won back-to-back elite women's sprint national titles. (Picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam)

"I think the whole women's sprint field in general is starting to really improve and progress and the rounds are getting a lot harder than what they were a few years ago which is really great experience. It's a really exciting time."

The bronze medal final was an all Queensland affair between Deneaka Blinco and Emma Stevens, with Blinco coming out on top in two match sprints.

In the junior events, South Australian Leani van der Berg powered to a scratch race win and Western Australian Sam Washington took out the 1000m time trial.

Van der Berg will always remember her maiden individual track national title as the one she never planned to start.

The 17-year-old only found out she would need to race the junior women's scratch race national championship this morning due to an entry error.

"I wasn't planning on racing tonight and then I was told there was actually an error and I managed to be entered, which means I obviously have to race it but I'm glad that I ended up racing," van der Berg said.

"I'm super happy. It was really good to come out and get my first individual national title on the track after a pretty good year in 2024 and going to Junior Track Worlds. I also think it was one of the more interesting scratch races we've had and it made for a good final."

Washington, 17, continues his rebound from glandular fever, which forced him out of his first home Road Nationals in January.

"It was nice getting a PB. Haven't done a kilo in awhile and it was just nice to back after glandular fever as well. It'd be now three of four months since I had it and to come back strong like this is great," Washington said.

"Being a second-year under-19 I want to be going for wins later in the year at Junior Track Worlds instead of just being there for experience. I want to be up there, be competitive with everyone else and we'll definitely have a strong team pursuit squad. Especially with everyone coming through like Toby Jones and Alex Hewes and hopefully we can get a good solid team together."

Feature picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam