Competitors will travel from across the country to compete at the five-day cycling festival to battle for a much sought after green and gold jersey.

Bendigo and District Cycling Club vice president Syd Anstee said there was a strong contingent of Bendigo competitors entered in the event.

“This is one of the biggest races of the year,” Anstee said.

“If they have strong performances at the Road Nats it’s likely they could be picked up and selected for racing teams.

“The club has a long history of sending some really good riders to compete and this year we have plenty of young up and coming riders going to the Road Nats.”

The 2019 RoadNats will run from January 4-8 with multiple criterium, road race and time trial events to be held at Ballarat and Buninyong.

The event categories are under-19, under-23, elite and para-cyclists for both men and women.

Castlemaine and Bendigo cyclists Connor Sens, Jasper Albrecht and Dylan McKenna will be competing with their new team X-Speed United.

BDCC members Blake Agnoletto, Patrick Eddy and Chris Hamilton are some of the other Bendigo cyclists who will be competing.

One of the biggest challenges for all competitors will be racing in conditions where temperatures have been forecast to reach 40 degrees on Friday.

Cycling Australia’s heat guidelines states the chief commissaire is required to conduct assessments every 30 minutes throughout the day when temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius.

Once temperatures are between 38 and 40 degrees the schedule and program may be modified and endurance events may be cancelled or postponed until later in the day or after sunset.

If the temperature exceeds 41 degrees, all competition will be postponed until it drops.

The current forecast for Friday in Ballarat is 40 degrees with a cool change expected in the afternoon.

Schedule:

Friday 4 January – Ballarat

Criterium: U19 Women; U19 Men; U23 Men; U23 Women; Elite Women; Elite Men 

Fixed Gear Nats

Club Team Criterium

Saturday 5 January – Buninyong

MS National Gran Fondo as part of the 2019 Federation University Road National Championships

​Road Races: Para all categories; U19 Women, U19 Men; U23 Men

Sunday 6 January – Buninyong

Road Races: U23 Women; Elite Women; Elite Men

Monday 7 January – Buninyong

Club Team Time Trial​

Time Trials: Para all categories; U19 - Women; U19 Men

Tuesday 8 January – Buninyong

C1 Para ITT - Para all categories

Time Trials: U23 Men; U23 Women; Elite Women; Elite Men

Schools Time Trial​

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