SBS Cycling Central will have highlights from the USC-Cycle Sunshine Coast on SBS On Demand soon after the event, with a mixture of live coverage and highlights of the 2022 National Road Series.
2020 suffered problems with events being cancelled left, right and centre, but ended with a series of races in the Tweed Valley to conclude the year at the National Tour. 2021 was supposed to see more events return to the calendar, but prolonged lockdowns and travel restrictions for many states prompted postponements and eventually cancellations of events.
The season got off to a good start, with highlights aplenty in the Festival of Cycling, before Melbourne to Warrnambool was run to an audience of tens of thousands on SBS Cycling Central's livestream and Grafton to Inverell again showcased classics racing.
Then the travel restrictions came in earnest. First, the Tour de Brisbane was delayed, before the NRS race was ultimately run without NRS points.
Next, the mid-season stage races were taken off the calendar: the Tour of the Tropics, Battle on the Border, Tour of the Great South Coast and Tour of Gippsland all fell.
By the time Melbourne and Sydney emerged from their record lockdowns, the Tour of Tasmania had been frustrated for another year without an edition, while new one-day race, L’Etape Australia by Tour de France, was scratched after a local council withdrew support.
The 2022 race calendar looks more healthy at this stage, with racing again set to get underway at the Santos Festival of Cycling, with the Tour of Gippsland and Melbourne to Warrnambool up soon after in February.
However, there’s still the finale to the 2021 season to be decided, and the Cycle Sunshine Coast will light the way towards the return to normality with the men's and women's races to conclude the season for each.
“Six events were postponed or cancelled this year and the riders missed a lot of racing, but 2022 is looking like a huge year for the National Road Series,” said Adam Power, Event Operations Manager at AusCycling.
“Not only does Cycle Sunshine Coast give riders a final event to finish 2021, it also provides high-level racing prior to the Road National Championships in January.
“I’m looking forward to the fast racing and new courses, including the crit in Maroochydore’s CBD on the Friday night – and all that the event will bring to town – as well as the technical time trial through the University of Sunshine Coast.”
Stage 1- Maroochydore CBD Criterium (900m lap, 60 mins + 3 laps) - December 17
Looks like a harder criterium course than most, with a bit of climbing in there over the non-technical route. Still likely one for the sprinters and they'll be eyeing the finale on First Avenue.
Cycle Sunshine Coast Stage 1 map and profile Source: Cycle Sunshine Coast
Stage 2- Peachester Road Race - December 18
The event website has this as an 18.3 kilometre circuit which the men will tackle eight times (146km) and the women five (90km), though the total race distance stated for the men is currently equivalent to nine laps (162km).
There's quite a bit of stop-start climbing in the first half of the circuit, from the beginning of the ascent it figures at about 4.5 kilometres at 2.8 per cent, but with plenty of flat and some short downhills contained within that the climbing should be significantly harder.
Shapes as a good chance for attackers to get away from the peloton.
Cycle Sunshine Coast Stage 2 map and profile Source: Cycle Sunshine Coast
Stage 3- North Arm Circuit - December 19
A series of circuits just north of Yandina should be an interesting battle between the puncheurs as they fight it out on the varied terrain of the North Arm Circuits. There are two circuits, the only variation is that one takes an easier route around Fair Hill, while one goes up some devilishly steep roads.
The 'Old Coach Wall' on the tougher route is just a 300-metre section but averages a hellish 13 per cent, and is preceded by some short rises, with only a short, two-kilometre run into the finish from the peak.
Cycle Sunshine Coast Stage 3 map and profile Source: Cycle Sunshine Coast
Stage 4- University of Sunshine Coast - Time Trial - 6.2km (2x laps 3.1km) - December 19
'Technical' is an understatement for this route, there are at least 16 corners per lap, averaging one every 200 metres for the course. It looks to be over a combination of USC campus roads and some paths, so the winner is likely to be a short-course specialist who has time to recon the corners and think through the best way to attack them.
Unlikely to flip the general classification on its head, but if it's a close battle at the top of the standings, valuable seconds could be picked up.
Cycle Sunshine Coast Stage 4 map and profile Source: Cycle Sunshine Coast
