BRIGHT’S Julian Baudry is the best in the country.

The 18-year-old stunned onlookers after a solo sprint effort saw him triumph in the under 23 men’s road race at the 2025 AusCycling Road National Championships over in WA in mid-January.

The Alpine Cycling Club member raced to victory in the 136km, 10-lap course with a blistering time of 3hr05:53.

“It’s unreal, I can’t believe it,” Baudry said after the race.

“I was focusing on the TT (time trial) this week and coming in I just wanted to try get in the break and see how I could finish up in the road race.

“I felt really, really good out there.

“Huge thanks to my coach Mark O’Brien, he’s helped me through the last year-and-a-half and it’s been a pleasure working with him – he’s got me doing lots of heat training sessions just in preparation for this, and it's paid off.

“It’s amazing I never thought this would happen, I can’t believe it, I’m so excited for the year ahead wearing the green and gold.”

Baudry had been riding with a breakaway group of a dozen other riders which had pulled away halfway through the race.

Favourite rider Fergus Browning attacked from the peloton, assisted by some CCASHE x BODYWRAP riding teammates, but Baudry dug deep and accelerated away.

"I was bit nervous at the start, trying to make sure I got in the break, and when we finally got away I was really happy and just stayed with the group and noticed down in the bottom corners before Mounts Bay Road I was gapping them in the corners,” he said.

“I wasn’t braking into most of them and I was able to open up a gap each time.

"When I heard Browning was chasing I just went full gas into those corners and got a gap on the second-last lap and tried to hold it all the way into the finish.”

Baudry also claimed the Pedal Mafia King of the Mountains Jersey.