The young gun finished second behind Declan Tresize in a thrilling sprint finish to the junior men's criterium.

Agnoletto, who made his Bendigo International Madison debut in 2019, rode the 22km in a slick 32:59.

Agnoletto's great ride came two days after his Bendigo club mate Patrick Eddy won gold in the junior men's time-trial. Eddy rode strongly again on Friday and finished fourth - just three seconds behind the winner.

Agnoletto, who was sixth in the time-trial, and Eddy will back-up in Saturday's 104km junior men road race.

They'll be joined in the field by fellow Bendigo riders Jackson Hadden, Luka Cordedda, Alexander Allott, Ronan Teese and Harry Nankervis.

Meanwhile, reigning Bendigo International Madison champions Sam Welsford and Kelland O'Brien have displayed their versatility on the road by defying treacherous conditions in Ballarat to take out Australian criterium titles.

Seventeen riders pulled out of the elite men's race before the start on Friday as persistent rain made life difficult for competitors.

West Australian rider Welsford came over the top of fellow pre-race favourite Kaden Groves to claim the elite men's green and gold jersey, with Ballarat local Nick White third.

Welsford broke clear on the uphill final sprint after negotiating a tricky last turn near the front of a bunched peloton on a slippery surface.

"It was unreal conditions and hats off to all the boys for sprinting in that," Welsford said. "I just had to back myself in and, luckily enough, I had a bit of space on the outside in the last 100m."

Earlier, a strong wind gust had blown down a barrier during the under-19 women's race and caused a crash that left Mildura's Chelsea Symons with a suspected broken collarbone.

Chloe Hosking won the women's criterium, while Ruby Roseman-Gannon won the under-19 women's title.

Bendigo's Peta Mullens was seventh in a sprint finish in the women's criterium. Mullens will chase her second road race title on Sunday.

- with AAP