"You can have a sprinter on the podium one year, or a climber winning it the next" - Luke Plapp on the open nature of Australian National Championships

In early January, Luke Plapp will be looking for his third successive Australian National Championships title. Given the open nature of the race however, it's far from a foregone conclusion.

“I love racing nationals in Ballarat; it has a special place in my heart," Plapp, who will race in new colours next year, having swapped the INEOS Grenadiers for Team Jayco AlUla, tells SBS Sport. "I love the terrain. I think the course offers a race for everyone. You can have a sprinter on the podium one year, or a climber winning it the next."

Highly regarded by those in Australian cycling, the 22-year-old Plapp is seen as arguably the nation's top prospect. As such, he always gets a warm reception when racing on home roads. “It’s a brilliant atmosphere around Buninyong. We love it as riders," he says. "You can feel everyone getting more energetic and excited as the laps count down, and it all comes down to that final showdown on the last lap."

With Ballarat also celebrating a landmark 21st year as home of the Australian National Championships, race director Scott McGrory is keen ensure another memorable edition.

“Ballarat has become synonymous with the national road championships over the past two decades," he says. "The course, the riders and the fans always make for an exhilarating week of racing and a highlight of the Australian cycling calendar. I’m confident 2024 will give us another fantastic edition – one not to be missed.”