For the first time, riders of all abilities will be able to test out the criterium track in Sturt St, wheel their way down the finish straight at Buninyong  or tackle a slightly more challenging ride from Ballarat to Buninyong as part of the five day event.

There will also be a family festival at Buninyong’s DeSoza Park on Saturday January 6.

The real action will be among the 750 elite male and female cyclists and para-cyclists vying for the prestigious national title and possible selection in the 2018 Commonwealth Games team.

Federation University has been announced as naming rights sponsor of the event for the next three years, with the Transport Accident Commission named as a partner and the Amy Gillett Foundation as safety partner.

The traditional criterium along Sturt St returns on Wednesday January 3 with time trials at Buninyong on the other days on an extended course through the Fed Uni campus and, for the first time, the para-cycling nationals are being held at the event with road races at Cardigan.

Cycling Australia chairman Steve Bracks expected big crowds to again watch the cycling action from vantage points around the 11.6km road race circuit and the city criterium stage.

“It’s great for the region and, from a cycling point of view, my task really is to say how treat it is that we have a national championship here in Buninyong and Ballarat and to announce the partners and people who will be supporting the event,” he said.

Paralympic gold medal cyclist and world champion Carol Cooke welcomed the inclusion of the new categories to the event.

“We always had our nationals by ourselves at the end of April in crappy weather on roads in the middle of nowhere with no one watching … and always felt like the poor cousin to every other discipline but now we fell almost on par and recognised for being the elite cyclists we are,” she said at the launch at Fed Uni.

State regional development minister Jaala Pulford said the 2018 FedUni Road Nats, from January 3 to 7, would create a massive economic benefit for Ballarat, providing a big boost for accommodation, hospitality and retail operators.