I'll sign this one but i wouldn't mind taking one of these home in a few hours: Jack Bobridge (Garmin Cervelo) signs a national jersey prior to the start in Buninyong.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Luke Roberts was expecting to ride for Pegasus but he came with a neutral jersey hoping to get a start with another team soon.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Adam Hansen, now riding for Omega Pharma-Lotto, will also try to get the title of time trial champion on Tuesday.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Michael Rogers got off the plane from Europe for racing for Sky for the first time in Ballarat.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Malaysia's Amir Mustafa is a new recruit for the Drapac-Porsche continental team.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Tim Roe raced for BMC for the first time in Ballarat.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
The Meyer brothers are the defending champions: Travis for the road race, Cameron for the time trial.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Mark Renshaw complained about the course being the same every year and too hard for sprinters.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
David Tanner is a new rider for Saxo Bank.(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Jack Bobridge (Garmin-Cervelo) after the finish.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
One big motor: South Australian Jack Bobridge (Garmin) salutes the crowd down the home straight in Buninyong and wins gold.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Jack Bobridge's impressive victory in the elite national road race championships on Sunday is one of the highlights of his career. The 21-year-old is a world and national champion on the track, as well as a world and national champion on the road and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
"This win rates pretty high in those list of achievements," Bobridge said. "Anyone would say they would love to be an Australian road champion and to get one is absolutely fantastic and I'm over the moon. Just to be able to wear the colours in the pro peloton is fantastic," he added.
Last year Bobridge claimed his first road victory, winning stage five in the Eneco Tour of the Benelux after attacking his breakaway companions and soloing to the line in the final two kilometres. His national win is only going to elevate his status as a road race rider.
Bobridge's next assignment is the time trial on Tuesday, in which he is one of the favourites. He will then go to the Tour Down Under, where he will be helping team-mate Tyler Farrar.
"I will be looking after Tyler in the Tour Down Under. He is going well at the moment. The first couple of days will be raced around him and we'll see what happens from there, if he's in a good position for the overall or not."
Bobridge believes being a track rider helped him win the national championships.
"I think a lot of the pure roadies don't go in as well as us trackies," explained Bobridge. "We have the World Championships in March so we have to be going pretty well already and I think that helps us."
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"We have the World Cup in December which doesn't give us much of a rest, but it keeps our legs ticking over, which definitely helps us and keeps us sharper this time of the season. After I finish track racing in 2012, we'll see what happens."
Bobridge has also highlighted his major objective in 2011.
"The track world championships in Holland is very important. After that I will move over to the road. I'm not quite sure of the races I will be doing, but I will definitely be participating in the Giro and will try and get some more results on the road during the year and see how go from there."
