Road Nationals return to Ballarat in January 2024

The City of Ballarat has confirmed the championships will be held in Ballarat from January 4 to 7 next year and will see under-23, junior, club cyclists and elite riders battle it out for the right to hold the green and gold national jersey.

Next year will be the 18^th consecutive year the Road Nationals will be held in Ballarat, but there are no guarantees the event will continue, with mayor Des Hudson confirming AusCycling is likely to rotate the event around the country in coming years.

In the past contracts been multi-year deals, however this time it is just a one-year agreement.

The uncertainty over the long-term future of another major event comes just days after Ballarat lost hosting rights to the Commonwealth Games athletics due to the cost blow-outs.

"Being able to host the event for almost two decades has shown that we are more than capable of hosting large-scale and complex events on the national stage," Cr Hudson said in a statement.

"We value our collaborative relationship with AusCycling and acknowledge the positive impact the event has had on our city."

"We understand the AusCycling board has decided to rotate the event elsewhere throughout Australia to reflect the national status of the event. We are hopeful that it will return to Ballarat in the not too distant future."

AusCycling chief executive Marne Fechner thanked the City of Ballarat, Federation University and the state government for their continued support.

"AusCycling is looking forward to the continued support of the City of Ballarat, Federation University and the Victorian Government to deliver this premier cycling event, which will showcase the very best of Australian cycling once again in Ballarat next year," Fechner said.

"Australian cycling continues to go from strength to strength, with a growing list of Aussie riders joining WorldTour and Women's WorldTour teams.

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"We look forward to seeing these stars of Australian cycling back on home soil in January on the roads of Ballarat and surrounds."

Federation University has confirmed it will retain its major sponsorship agreement, which means it will sponsor both the Road Nationals and the inaugural Ballarat Marathon next year.

"This is the seventh year that we've supported this prestigious event that brings Australia's best cyclists to Ballarat and surrounding areas and which creates a real buzz in our community," vice chancellor Duncan Bentley said.

"Federation is recognised as one of the top 100 universities globally in the Sports Science discipline, and through our collaboration with AusCycling, our aim is to share our world-class expertise with athletes, teams, and the wider community during the staging of the event."

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