And Ballarat is about to be right in the spotlight.

Ballarat alone is gearing up for a huge week on the national sporting stage with Cycling Australia Road National Championships and a string of Women's National Basketball League matches.

We are on tenterhooks for action to actually get underway, in some form, due to juggles with border restrictions and COVID-19 furloughs.

Not to mention the rising number of Ballarat cricketers we have in isolation for the first week of play back from the festive break.

This is all in a city with one of the world's highest rates for plunging into lockdowns.

Australia's border issue volleying with Djokovic can have your head turning more than when you get stuck with a seat right in line with the net at the tennis.

The way it is playing out, there will unlikely be any clear winners, regardless which side of the net you are sitting on.

We are far from over tackling the COVID-19 pandemic yet.

RoadNats forged ahead with a limited program last year and the true state of play for this summer is yet to be revealed with many of the nation's top riders based overseas buffered by borders. Let alone those navigating their way from interstate.

The championships are not compromised.

Hometown elite rider Nick White has told The Courier last week the races would for sure have a different complexion, "making it even more interesting".

White is a former Australian under-23 road race champion, a title earned on the Buninyong course, and finished fourth to decorated Australian international Cam Meyer last year.

He said the fact few professionals were likely to be in action in Ballarat would change the whole aspect of the race: "It will open it up. Make it even more exciting."

Starting Wednesday, races will still determine the cyclists who will get to wear the green-and-gold stripes on their jerseys for the year ahead.

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Pandemic year or not, to be Australian champion is crown no-one can take away from winners in the cycling career.

There is even greater chance for races to unearth new talent in a growing global sport (pandemic aside).

Similarly, should there be no Djokovic at the Australian Open, let us hope Melbourne Park might be the stage for an Emma Raducanu of the men's tournament.

Meanwhile, Ballarat's newly adopted WNBL club Perth Lynx had two fixtures, one in Dandenong and one in Traralgon, suspended on health department advice for clubs and fans.

This comes right on the eve of hosting six WNBL matches at Ballarat Sports and Events Centre.

We have hosted in-season WNBL but not on this hub-like scale and it is a great opportunity to keep showcasing Ballarat and our sporting reputation - whatever might happen - and that is something we should be making a big racket about.

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