Australia's best cyclists will be racing against the clock on the first day of the AusCycling Road National Championships on Wednesday.
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The first event, the time trials, will see riders going all-out to conquer a challenging and "technical" course through Federation University's Mount Helen campus.
They'll be riding up Yankee Flat Road to Navigators Road, cutting laps back through the university itself.
READ MORE: RoadNats 2021: Road closures and maps
While a lot of household names might not be appearing on day one, the competition will still be fierce - current elite champs Sarah Gigante - a 20-year-old who swept the 2019 road race before winning the time trial last year - and four-time winner Luke Durbridge will have to fight hard to defend their titles against a wide open field.
It's still uncertain if Durbridge will take to the course at all, with Western Australia's lockdowns throwing a wrench in his preparation - organisers are working hard to follow all protocols safely, and as of Tuesday night, he was on a plane to Victoria.
The new time trial course, which debuted last year, is much more spectator-friendly - while the comfy bean bags in the shade might not make an appearance this year, there'll be food trucks and plenty of opportunities to cheer on riders.
The event begins early with the mass-participation Gran Fondo time trial, which has already sold out.
The junior riders will then take the course, before the under 23 men.
Elite riders will hit the track about 2.45pm.
The action will continue all week, with paracyclists and club teams events on Thursday before the famous Sturt Street criterium on Friday, one of the first big events to return to Ballarat's CBD.
Always a challenge for riders, they'll complete blistering laps between Lyons Street and Lydiard Street, while praying it does not rain again like last year.
This weekend is all about the road races in Buninyong, where spectators will still be allowed to watch the action from Warrenheip Street and Fed Uni, but hill climb passes are already sold out.
Paracyclists and juniors will be on the course on Saturday, before the big finish on Sunday with the elite and under 23 women and elite men on Sunday.
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And don't forget about the free community movie night at DeSoza Park in Buninyong on Saturday night, with Sonic the Hedgehog being screened under the stars.
Check the RoadNats website for more information, live updates, and interactive maps.
