Patrick Eddy could hardly have chosen a more pointed way to respond to being let go. The 23-year-old Australian claimed the national road title in Perth on Sunday, delivering the biggest win of his career just months after learning there was no longer a place for him at Picnic PostNL.
Riding for the Continental Team Brennan, Eddy spoke openly about how much the victory meant after a difficult period. “I hadn’t really won anything since my junior national title,” he said afterwards, admitting he had “lost himself a bit” over the past few seasons. According to WielerFlits, Eddy explained that the freedom he was given with his new team allowed him to rediscover his instincts.
Enjoying the sport again
Racing aggressively again, he said, helped him enjoy the sport in a way he hadn’t for some time.
The split with the Dutch WorldTour outfit clearly still stung. Eddy did not hide his feelings when reflecting on the conversation that ended his time there. He joked to WielerFlits that he had warned team manager Rudi Kemna he would “embarrass” him after being shown the door, before dedicating the win to his former boss with a wink.
Luke Plapp sacrifices Australian national championship chances for Jayco-AlUla teammate
The finish was something else too. Hometown WorldTour team Jayco AlUla clearly had the numbers and looked poised to win, when tactics went south, fast. Luke Durdridge was solo, after a long 40 km escape. Then, from the selection, another Luke, Plapp…wasn’t exactly playing his cool hand. He blew past his teammate and then tried to ride Eddy off his wheel, something that is almost impossible without a steep climb. Eddy sat on his wheel and kept cool, ultimately outsprinting Plapp. It was a brutal finish for the WorldTour team, who should have taken the dub.
Victoria para Patrick Eddy (Team Brennan) en el Nacional de Ruta de Australia 🇦🇺🏆
El excorredor de Picnic PostNL se llevó la victoria al sprint en Perth por delante de Luke Plapp (Jayco)🥈
Mientras que el joven Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon) completó el podio 🥉 pic.twitter.com/x53MqRSgMb
— Avituallamiento Ciclista (@EVTMO_) January 11, 2026
Tough to get results
Kemna had brought Eddy to Europe in 2022, first placing him in the development squad of DSM-firmenich before promoting him to the WorldTour team. Results were scarce, something Eddy previously tried to explain. Speaking during the Tour of Langkawi last year, he said he was usually tied…
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