ACT's 2021 Federation University Road National Championships campaign has started with a bang during the opening two days of action.
Canberra Cycling Club (CCC) president Tristan Dimmock is two for two in Ballarat after winning gold on Day 1 of #RoadNats in the Gran Fondo Individual Time Trial (19-34 Men).
Dimmock repeated his success on Day 2 with fellow CCC members Steve Crispin, Anthony Murfett and Anthony Willemsen in the Club Time Trial Masters 120 Men category.
Vikings Cycling Club's Alana Forster has been a popular figure of late in the Australian cycling scene thanks to her exploits at the Santos Festival of Cycling.
The emergency department doctor's form continued during the Elite Women Time Trial, riding home to a respectable 5th.
That result was made all the more significant by Forster stating she only acquired a TT bike last week due to a stock shortage.
"(I) had two rides on it and my disc brake disc wheel only arrived Tuesday. I only managed to get that set-up on the morning of the TT which was a bit stressful," she said.
"The TT course was wicked - had a bit of everything: punchy climbs, fast descents, false flats, exposed crosswind section, technical corners.
"I tried to even split both laps but hard to gauge against others without any time checks.
"I'm actually a bit disappointed, as in hindsight I probably could have shaved ten seconds off for a podium - but at the end of the day guess I went as hard as I could.
"Think I probably lost a bit of time when cornering as I wasn't confident, also needed a better pacing strategy and lost my top gear as it kept skipping due to needing a re-tune with disc wheel in - good learning experience though!"
Day 3 of the Federation Uni #RoadNats now heads to Sturt St for the criteriums.
Early forecasts had predicted wet and cold conditions for the criteriums on Friday, much like the 2020 edition, which saw Canberra Cycling Club product Chloe Hosking romp home to an Elite Women national title.
However, current forecasts are predicting the worst of the weather will stay away from Ballarat today.
If the rain does come, Forster knows the hotly contested crits will become a matter of who dares wins.
"Fortune favours the brave," she said.
Live broadcast of the Elite Women and Men Criterium National Championships begins at 5pm on SBS Cycling Central.
Check out all the live results here.
#RoadNats Day 1 and 2 results:
2021 Federation University Road National Championships Junior Men Individual Time Trial (18.6km)
2021 Federation University Road National Championships U23 Men Individual Time Trial (28.6km)
2021 Federation University Road National Championships Elite Women Individual Time Trial (28.6km)
2021 Federation University Road National Championships Gran Fondo Individual Time Trial (23.6km)
2021 Federation University Road National Championships Club Team Time Trial (32.4km)
Photography of Alana Forster courtesy of Mark O'Gara/@ogaram.