Part three of RIDE Media’s 2022 world championship preview is about the ‘City Circuit’ which will be part of all the road races – junior, under-23 and elite. It also forms the basis of the time trial loop from the Wollongong foreshore to Mount Pleasant and back…

 

– A blog and video by Rob Arnold

Click the link below and settle in, it’s a long video about a short ride. I take my time getting up to Mount Pleasant and back to Wollongong while following a route mapped out by a GPX file and talking about the details of a circuit cycling fans will soon become familiar with.

The ‘City Circuit’ is officially 17.1km long but a few additional elements were added to my ride as it was necessary to navigate around roadworks that are ongoing in preparation for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships (18-25 September).

  • Junior men’s road race (23/09): 8 laps
  • Under-23 men’s road race (23/09): 10 laps
  • Junior women’s road race (24/09): 4 laps
  • Elite women’s road race (24/09): 6 laps (of this circuit, after Helensburgh to Wollongong, then Mt Keira lap)
  • Elite men’s road race (25/09): 12 laps (of this circuit, after Helensburgh to Wollongong, then Mt Keira lap)

 

NOTE: In the video (and in the original version of this article) it is incorrectly stated that the elite men do 16 laps of the City Circuit.
The final race includes 12 laps. Please excuse this error.

 

Click the link below to see more of the ‘City Circuit’ for #Wollongong2022.

 

 

Each lap of the ‘City Circuit’ has ±250 metres of elevation gain, with most of that climbing coming in a span of around two-kilometres in the suburb of Mt Pleasant.

There are several steep ramps, getting close to a gradient of 20 percent and although it is steep in sections, each uphill pinch is followed either by a plateau or a downhill which will allow riders a moment of respite.

The final event on the world championship program, the elite men’s road race (266.9km) features 3,945 metres of elevation gain but it’s not exactly a climbers’ course.

As I make my way around the circuit, I offer a few thoughts on the road surface, the width of the streets, the gradient of the climbs, and other observations. Please understand, however, that this is an overview of the route – not a comprehensive explanation of every twist and turn, uphill or downhill.

The aim is to give international visitors (and viewers) a chance to get familiar with the kind of circuit it is, and what the conditions are like in this suburban setting.

In the coming weeks, I’ll add more videos and additional commentary about Wollongong, the worlds, and why this is a great part of the world for bike riding.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment on the YouTube video or RIDE’s social media channels.

 

– Rob

 

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Note: Big thanks to Destination Wollongong for helping to make this video production possible. My stay in Wollongong was hosted by the local tourism office, with accomodation at Sage Hotel Wollongong. – Rob