THREE names familiar to Casterton district appeared in starting line-ups of the weekend’s AusCycling Road National Championships in Perth, with medals for two of the trio.


Tynan Shannon, son of Neil and Merrin Carlin and grandson of Ned and Joan Shannon, lined up against the country’s best in the Men’s Elite Road Race, finishing 25th in the field of 64.


In the Men’s Under 23 Road Race, 2024 winner, Angus Browning, picked off all riders bar one from early breaks, to take silver in the 2025 event.


Son of ex-pats Tony and Mandy (Farne) and grandson of Robert, Browning has been competing in Europe this year.


He went out in pursuit of the riders out front in the break, which had stretched its advantage to close to three minutes.


The race worked its way through the laps of the 13.6-kilometre loop, with 193-metre of elevation gain each lap in temperatures of around 30°C.


As Browning worked his way through the groups and up towards the front of the race, on the brutal final climb near the end of the second last lap, Baudry decided his time had come to go it alone.


He quickly dropped his break companions and set into time trial mode.


Browning continued his pursuit, but with more than 50 seconds as the gap and Baudry still appearing strong, as the race entered the final lap, Baudry forged on to victory.


While the third name is not a Casterton ex-pat, the winner of the Elite Men’s Criterium at the weekend’s championships will be familiar to fans of the local Wal Smith Memorial 50.


Sam Welsford went out early in the sprint to claim victory in the event and the national title, in front of his home crowd.


An Olympic Games and UCI Track Cycling Championship gold medallist, Welsford holds the course record for the Casterton 50, after winning the event in 2019.


Going into the weekend’s event as the hot favourite, Welsford took position in the middle of the road with 300 metres to go, was first around the final corner and accelerated at the 50-metre mark to take a seat for the final 40.