The City of Ballarat chief executive has signed up for the 63-kilometre gravel grind in Black Hill and will back this up with a 100-kilometre road ride around the region a day later.

But Mr King made clear, there was something for everyone in the Cycle Classic - and that every ride, no matter the distance, counted in supporting homegrown cancer research.

"The beauty of the Cycle Classic is that it keeps growing each year and broadening its appeal for everybody," Mr King said.

"Ballarat Cycle Classic has cemented itself in the summer of cycling. There is the RoadNats, Cadel Evans and Tour Down Under and the Cycle Classic has become part of the cycling calendar.

"By entering, you're combining something healthy for you and getting something extra out of being active by raising money for something...In entering the Cycle Classic you know your contribution stays in Ballarat and goes into research, particularly when you're in a physically tired environment you can know it is all spent in Ballarat research and not going off into administration headquarters."

Every cent from entries directly supports Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute. Ballarat Cycle Classic has been the major fundraiser for more than a decade for the institute, which receives no government funding.

The gravel grind was new to the program last year with one distance on offer. It returns with three routes: 30km, 47km or 63km as well as the new gravity enduro, downhill events.

Mr King said the gravity grind had a fun, party-like atmosphere and, while an off-road event, there was plenty of safety support for riders.

Road rides, including a family lake ride and family adventure trail ride, remain the focus of the Classic's traditional Sunday program based at Lake Wendouree.

There is the option for those who enter an off-road event - with the gravel grind or gravity enduro - to sign up for a road ride on the Sunday morning if they decided late to take on the extra challenge.

Mr King said cycling has been a great sport in which to make new friends in a supportive environment and Cycle Classic highlighted this.

He will head out with a group of friends who plan to ride together and enjoy the day - all for a vital cause.

"Everyone says cancer has touched their life and sadly it's become a matter of if, not when, in the statistics of getting cancer," Mr King said. "It's frightening, really, particularly for men who are not great going to the doctor and with early detection important, time is so critical."

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FECRI has key projects in immunology, breast cancer, bowel cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, renal cancer, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and brain tumours. The institute has 17 research staff and three PhD candidates.

Work at the institute in central Ballarat has featured the identification of proteins involved in chemotherapy resistance among ovarian cancer patients that could potentially be used as targets to circumvent resistance.

Researchers have also made world-first findings in the behaviour and function of pregnancy-associated plasma protein in triple-negative breast cancer.

FECRI is hoping to raise $240,000 from Cycle Classic this year to fund further research. Funds tally about $141,000 a week out from the event.

Ballarat Cycle Classic is on February 18-19.

Enter at ballaratcycleclassic.com.au.

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