This Sunday's inaugural Sutton Grange Winery Uncorked Gravel race has attracted some of the best riders in the country.
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With over $5,000 worth of prize money on offer - the most for any gravel event in Australia - across the elite men's, women's and over-40s categories, this new event could become a permanent fixture on the calendar for the nation's best gravel riders.
Australian Elite Men's gravel champion Connor Sens headlines the field that will ride through beautiful countryside, hills and the state forest surrounding the Sutton Grange Winery.
Sens will be joined by recent Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Mark O'Brien, Bendigo's Tasman Nankervis and former grand tour rider Mitchell Docker.
In the women's race, local star Courtney Sherwell heads in as one of the favourites.
Race organiser Darren Casey said the high-class field was an excellent sign of the region's growing popularity with gravel racing.
"It's only fitting we have riders the calibre of Connor, Mark, Tasman, Mitch and Courtney for such a high-quality event," Casey said.
"We're also incredibly grateful to the Sutton Grange Winery and our other sponsors and supporters who share our vision of establishing the Bendigo region as one of the premier gravel bike regions in the world."
Riders will race 94.5km and complete the 27km circuit three times.
The route will showcase a selection of fast, open terrain to more technical, rocky and hilly sections that traverse through the Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve and Lyell State Forest.
Along with the race, there will also be a food and wine festival at the winery.
Meanwhile, Bendigo District Cycling Club members have been tearing it up at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships.
Lilyth Jones got things underway for the Bendigo riders claiming gold in the Women's Junior Individual Pursuit.
Jones triumphed over New Zealand's Mya Wolfenden by just under six seconds.
Alessia McCaig made it two golds when she and her teammates Molly McGill and Kalinda Robinson took out the Women's Elite Team Trial over 750m in a time of 48.345sec.
