The AusCycling Road National Championships are back next week, and as well as all the cycling action, there will be plenty to see and do.
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With racing starting Wednesday, Janaury 12 at Federation University with time trials across all classes - from juniors to elites to paracyclists - and continuing Thursday, the party moves to Sturt Street for the famous criterium races.
Cyclists will sprint up and down the hill, completing dozens of laps, with thrills and spills aplenty.
READ MORE: RoadNats 2022: Callout for volunteers
To get the full experience, AusCycling is running a coffee ride on the Friday morning, starting at The Western Hotel at 7am sharp for a 90 minute ride across the city.
For the serious cycling head, entries are still open for the Gran Fondo mass ride on Saturday, January 15 - supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities, riders will complete five laps of the challenging Mount Buninyong course.
That night, following a day of road racing, there's a free open-air family movie night at Buninyong's De Soza Park, with Space Jam 2: A New Legacy starting at 7.30pm.
There'll be live music and food trucks as well - bring your own picnic rug.
Sunday, January 16 will be the elite men's and women's road races - once again, the King of the Mountain zone on Mount Buninyong Road will be open to watch the riders scream up the hill.
Every event will be conducted under COVID-safe guidelines, and may be subject to change quickly.
The event brings thousands of people to Ballarat every year, from veterans that have raced in the Tour de France, to first-timers recording their first major wins.
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It also hosts all categories of paracyclists, including cyclists with an intellectual disability and deaf cyclists, as well as team events that attract amateur cyclists from across the country.
This year, keep an eye out for some Ballarat superstars like Nick White, who ran a narrow second in the elite men's criterium and a heartbreaking fourth in the road race.
Visit the RoadNats website to find out more, including the most up-to-date information closer to the event.
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