It’s a huge result for cycling in Australia. Cycling in this country is getting bigger and better as a result of the Australians who have dominated the world tour during the past 25 years. Think Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady, Brad McGee, Baden Cooke, Cadel Evans, Michael Matthews, Caleb Ewan, Simon Gerrans. All have dominated on the world stage, at one time or another, and enjoyed success.
The world championships will certainly leave an impact in terms of tourism for NSW and Wollongong. But for the sport? There’ll be budding young cyclists with stars in their eyes, looking at the superstars who are coming here thinking: “I want to do that. I want to be just like Julian Alaphilippe, I want to be just like Michael Matthews or Jai Hindley. I want to go to Europe, I want to be a world tour rider, and I want to make a living out of being a successful cyclist, I want to stand on the highest podium”.
‘It’s more of an achievement to win the rainbow jersey than it is to win an Olympic gold medal.’
The course that awaits this cast is unforgiving. It’s not a sprinter’s course, instead one that will separate those who can climb from those who can’t. They must climb Mount Keira once, which rises to an altitude of about 400 metres. Awaiting them as they filter back into the suburbs of Wollongong is Mount Pleasant, which will be anything but. It’s a one-kilometre climb the riders will have to scale 12 times. I’ve climbed it myself, and it really is a brutal loop.
The elite women’s road race stretches over 164.3 kilometres. The men’s road race is 266.9 kilometers. It’s effectively the same distance as Sydney to Canberra, and it’s not a flat road. To complete such a distance on an undulating course in a matter of hours is brutal. As for us weekend warriors who may do 80 to 100 kilometers on a Saturday or a Sunday, you can do the maths. It’s like chalk and cheese.
Yet for every person who deems it too brutal, there will be a kid left inspired. That’s the spin-off of this event.
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The youngsters coming through with stars in their eyes will be a result of what’s going to happen in Wollongong in September.
Michael Tomalaris will host the exclusive Stan Sport coverage of the UCI World Championships. Stan Sport’s exclusive coverage of the 2022 UCI Road World Championships begins on Sunday 18 September 2022 with every race streaming ad-free, live and on-demand.
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