STREETSCAPES across the City of Ballarat will be the stage for the Federation University Road National Championships\u2019 elite cycling action for one more summer.<\/p>\n
For the 18th year in a row, the RoadNats criteriums, road races, and time trials will be held in Ballarat, Buninyong, and Mount Helen from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 January 2024, before they head to another host city in 2025.<\/p>\n
AusCycling\u2019s executive general manager of commercial and marketing Kate Patterson said the plan is to give a \u201cbig send-off\u201d to the event which has become a community tradition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t put on this event without such strong local backing,\u201d she said. \u201cThe last RoadNats in Ballarat will be all about thanking the community for their support over many years, which has been really special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to celebrate the 18 years. We hope everyone comes out to watch the crits on the Friday night and heads out to the mountain on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Patterson said the long-time support of the City of Ballarat, Federation University, and the State Government has helped grow the \u201ciconic\u201d event, and its popularity across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Australia\u2019s premier domestic cycling competition, and such an integral part of the summer of cycling,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of our greatest champions have competed and won in Ballarat. The riders love coming here, and so do the fans, many of which come up from Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
FedUni director of global and engagement Daniel Moloney said the institution\u2019s partnership with AusCycling is a valued one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to have the sprint and road races going through the university,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a shame it won\u2019t continue beyond the coming event because it\u2019s been such a great partnership for us, and for our sports science faculty to link in with local and national elite cyclists as part of the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve noticed people have come to us with an interest in studying sports science because of our partnership with the RoadNats.\u201d<\/p>\n
For six years, Ballarat Sports Medicine sport and exercise physician Dr Greg Harris has been a key part of RoadNats programming.<\/p>\n
Spectators probably wouldn\u2019t recognise him, but he\u2019s always right in the heart of the action as race doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI coordinate the medical coverage for each of the events, and the time trials, crits and road races are all quite different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn conjunction with event organisers GTR, who provide emergency response vehicles and that set-up, we provide the local medical support doctors at the events, and in the car for the road events.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anyone happens to get injured, we can coordinate the local medical response as needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a cyclist as well, so being in the race doctor\u2019s car in the convoy, especially coming into the last lap, is the highlight of my year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The party on the mountain, which was big before the pandemic, will be fully revived for the 2024 Sunday program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got our partner, The Western Hotel, setting up a bar,\u201d Ms Patterson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be a big screen, live music, retired professional cyclist Mitch Docker will be our MC, and other sponsors will have displays.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the cyclists set to be cheered on by spectators up the mountain is local para-athlete Alana Forster.<\/p>\n
She is registered to tackle the TT road race, but is aiming to qualify for the elite road race instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a bittersweet event,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it makes me proud to be a local to have the road race in Buninyong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice being able to showcase your city and the people in it. What makes Ballarat special is the community that\u2019s here. It\u2019s also nice to inspire the next generation of kids on bikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be one last hurrah, with the town and the community putting on a good show, and the riders will too.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a possibility that the RoadNats may return to the City of Ballarat within three years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
STREETSCAPES across the City of Ballarat will be the stage for the Federation University Road National Championships\u2019 elite cycling action for one more summer. For the 18th year in a row, the RoadNats criteriums, road races, and time trials will be held in Ballarat, Buninyong, and Mount Helen from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 January […]<\/p>\n