Victoria Police spokeswoman Jessica Brennan said Ballarat North-based officers had launched an investigation into the alleged assault on Wendouree Parade about 2pm last Thursday.

“Police believe a verbal dispute occurred between a cyclist and a motorist, resulting in the motorist allegedly striking the cyclist,” she said.

Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Susannah Hicks confirmed paramedics were called to the male cyclist after reports of the alleged assault.

It comes after the relationship between some motorists and cyclists across Ballarat has become increasingly fraught following a widely publicised hit-run also on Wendouree Parade.

In April, Rebekah Stewart, 24, was jailed for six years for fleeing the scene after she hit cyclist and father Christian Ashby along the road on Good Friday, 2016.

The hit-run left Mr Ashby in constant pain.

"This nightmare changed my life dramatically," he told a court.

While not commenting on Thursday’s incident directly, Ballarat Bicycle Users Group member Matt Briody said he wished assaults on cyclists were less common.

“Sadly, people on bikes get assaulted by people in cars every day,” he said.

“Whether it's the deliberately close passing, or the yelling of threats and obscenities from their windows.

“It's all just cowardly and stupid.

“There's a small bunch of motorists that seem to think that because they've been inconvenienced by a few seconds that it's okay to threaten the life of someone on a bike.

“I can tell you that a lot of people on bikes are absolutely sick of it.”

Paramedics treated the man at the scene on Thursday.

The investigation into the alleged assault was ongoing, anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.