From Belgium to Ballarat: See the photos from the inaugural cyclo-cross event

Event director Michael Hands said Cyclo-cross, which originated in Europe and features a short course for bike riders to tackle obstacles like grass, mud and ponds, was starting to grow in popularity in Australia.

"It's a real vibe. Cyclo-cross is meant to be hard and dirty and you've got to get off your bike sometimes," he said.

"It's still a growing sport here but in Europe, in Belgium in particular, it's huge and you can't recognise the riders sometimes because they're covered in mud."

Mr Hands said the event had about 280 entrants and with participants' supporters, CX Ballarat had attracted around 500 people to the city over the weekend.

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This year, CX Ballarat is a national series event, and from here Mr Hands said the aim was to grow it to a national championship, and then a Union Cycliste Internationale event, endorsed by the world cyclinh governing body.

"The event is the first year of a five year plan we have for Cyclo-cross in winter in Ballarat, which will end up with this as a UCI ranked event which means we'll have riders from all over the world," Mr Hands said.

The Gibbings family travelled from Melbourne for dad Wayne and six-year-old Ruby to take part.

Mr Gibbings said he enjoyed the course and hoped to return next year.

"The first entry is rideable, then you go down a really steep bit, round a sharp corner," he said.

"The second bit isn't rideable you have to run down but then you've got to get back on your bike at the top to be able to go back down this really steep hill - so it's kind of it's really technical and tricky."

"And muddy," Miss Gibbings added.

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