THE national time trial cycling championships might return to Buninyong next year after a drama-filled day of cycling at Learmonth on Tuesday.Championships director John Craven told The Courier yesterday that there would be consideration given to possibly moving the time trial championships back to Buninyong next year, in a bid to improve rider safety.Strong winds and traffic on the road at Learmonth left a number of riders complaining after their time trial legs on Tuesday.Pre-race favourite and 2011 runner-up Jack Bobridge was hospitalised after coming off his bike within the first kilometre and both silver medallist Cameron Meyer and bronze medallist Michael Rogers commented on the fact the road was not closed to traffic.However, Craven insisted it was almost impossible to close the entire course to traffic.More than 60 kilometres of road was used in racing on Tuesday, with two different courses for the elite men and the other two races.He said the safety of the riders was of utmost importance and that is was an issue that needed to be addressed.“It’s certainly high on the agenda at the moment,” said Craven.Craven said the current Learmonth site – which had been used for two years – and the Buninyong course were most likely the only places where the time trial could be held in 2013.The time trials were moved from a Buninyong circuit to Learmonth for last year’s event.However, Craven said it was far too early to make any prediction as to where the event would be staged next year.“All options need to be assessed in order to make a decision,” he said.“Previously there was a resident issue at Buninyong, plus we also wanted to spread the championships across the Ballarat region as well as we could.”Ballarat Regional Tourism director George Sossi it was important there was not a knee-jerk reaction to the incidents.He said an analysis of the overall event would be conducted early next week and that the City of Ballarat would conform to any racing requirements set out by Cycling Australia.As for the issue of traffic on the road while riders are competing, Craven says the logistical exercise of closing off such a long stretch of road for cycling is virtually impossible.“At any major municipality in the country it’s almost impossible to shut down 60 kilometres of roads,” he said.“It’s costly enough to close 10.2 kilometres in Buninyong for the road race. Closing more than would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”The Mars Australia Road National Cycling Championships are contracted to be held in Ballarat until at least 2015.