Canberra's Brendan Johnston wins inaugural Dirty Warrny gravel race

Brendan 'Trekky' Johnston crossed the line first in the 246km slog from Geelong to Warrnambool, clocking in at seven hours and 20 minutes.

Johnston, the reigning national gravel champion, said he and the runners-up Curtis Dowdell and Mark O'Brien had stuck together for most of the race after overtaking the breakaway group, before the Canberra rider "took his moment."

"We worked really well together, just trying to get to the finish as soon as we could," he said. "Then the run in here is quite technical, on the grass, just only one lane. I saw that and went to the front there and knew that was my moment."

Winning the Melbourne to Warrnambool back in 2020, Johnston said he was accustomed to the longer rides.

"I've been at it a long time," he said. "Having won the road race here over the 267km, I'm used to the long distance and on the right day can go well."

He said he enjoyed the scenery the Dirty Warrny provided, which included Deans Marsh, the Otways, Simpson and Timboon.

"It felt pretty cool," he said. "It's really different scenery, you've got a whole day starting in Geelong, up through the Otways, crazy rain-forestry type, and into Warrnambool, it's kind of real open and barren. It's a big journey."

Meanwhile, Courtney Sherwell was elite female winner in the Dirty Warrny, crossing the line in eight hours and 32 minutes.

The Bendigo rider contested the first Women's Melbourne to Warrnambool earlier this year but had never contested a race as long as the 246km Dirty Warrny.

"The distance and time, I saw it as a really good challenge," she said. "And I love gravel riding."

The 34-year-old said it was an enjoyable "but tough" ride, and felt if she could get to the second feed zone, she'd "be home and hosed".

"There were still a lot of pinch zones after that that were hurting the legs," she said.

With a mountain bike background, Sherwell has contested the National Road Series and had a small stint road racing in Belgium this year.

"Now I'm getting back into gravel racing since I've been home," she said.

Sherwell will now look to the Cattleman 100 in Omeo in a fortnights time, a 175km mountain bike race before the Tour of the Bright in December.

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