Organiser Tim Canny can see the Ballarat Cycling Carnival becoming a permanent fixture while the Cycling Australia Road National Championships remain in the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Sebastopol Ballarat Cycling Club ran the criteriums on a closed circuit in Victoria Park on Monday as a lead-in for riders to the national road championships in Ballarat from Wednesday.
Criteriums in Sturt Street open the five-day championships.
Canny said the day was an outstanding success, with tremendous support from riders and the public.
“It was great to see so many spectators. There was a really good atmosphere and the racing was highly competitive.”
The carnival was organised for the first time after the Bay Crits Series, the traditional lead-up event to the nationals, was cancelled.
Canny is confident that even with the Bay Crits returning there is a spot for the Ballarat event a couple of days out of from the national titles.
National criterium championship contenders Shannon Malseed from Ballarat and European-based Brenton Jones underlined the quality of racing by winning the elite races.
Canny said while the concept would remain the same, the carnival might be shortened next time by compressing races.
The carnival catered for under-15s, under-17s, women’s B grade and elite, men’s masters, C grade, B grade and elite, and showcased the newly resurfaced criterium circuit.
