Last rollout for RoadNats

AUSTRALIA’S best cyclists will be back in Ballarat and Buninyong for the Road National Championships for a final time next year.

The event, which is put on by AusCycling, The City of Ballarat, Federation University, and the Victorian Government will run from Thursday 4 January until Sunday 7 January.

The RoadNats see the best elite, para and junior cyclists competing for green and gold national jerseys.

Following next year’s racing, the location of the championships will switch between different hosts, with more details on venues to be released later.

“After much consideration, we have decided to rotate the host location for the Championships commencing in 2025,” said AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner.

“It is our very strong hope that we will work with [City of Ballarat] council, Victorian Government, Federation University and our other event partners to deliver a fitting celebration of the event in 2024, before we take the event to other locations for a while.”

The funding agreement for the 2024 event worth $660,000 was approved behind closed doors at the last City of Ballarat council meeting.

Ballarat has hosted the RoadNats for 18 consecutive years, and a City of Ballarat media statement said it returned an average of $4 million per year in the last five years to the local economy.

“Being able to host the event for almost two decades has shown that we are more than capable of hosting large-scale and complex events on the national stage,” said mayor Cr Des Hudson.

“We value our collaborative relationship with AusCycling and acknowledge the positive impact the event has had on our city.”

The 2023 event saw 10,000 spectators and it was showed through a live domestic and international broadcast.

Victoria’s acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Ben Carroll, said the event is a great way to bring tourism to the region.

“The Road Nationals will deliver big benefits to Ballarat when the event returns next year, showcasing the best of the region,” he said.