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Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships 2012: Elite men's road race

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Welcome to Cyclingnews' coverage of the Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships. We'll be doing live updates from the elite men's road race in Buninyong starting 12 PM AEDT, Sunday, January 8.

We're just about to get underway here in Buninyong. Field is assembling on the start line.

The riders are actually about to have their eardrums blasted by the sound of a musket going off to mark the start of the race. Boom!

Alright after much fuss, my internet has finally kicked in, so I'll be aiding Jane with the coverage!

Riders are away now on their first lap of the 10.1 kilometre Buninyong course. The overnight rain has cleared but the wind has really got up over the last hour leading in to the start. Cyclingnews spoke to a number of riders and team staff before the race and the general consensus was that the wind could swing the race in the favour of a more experienced rider.

160km remaining from 163km

Cyclingnews has had several long and contentious discussions over the past few weeks in the lead up to today's race as to who the favourites are. I think we worked out last night that there could be as many as 25 potential winners out there today.

Wow. GreenEdge will not be pulling any punches today. Agressive from the outset as promised with Luke Durbridge and Jack Bobridge off the front.

We're just talking with Matthew Keenan, and we all agree, this could be a winning move with these three riders off the front, given the motors on them.

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It was Sam Witmitz who ended up taking the sprint on Lap 2.

So, let's take a look at some of the contender in the field today, there's plenty of them!

A good place to start is defending champion, Jack Bobridge. He'll certainly be doing a lot of work for his new GreenEdge team today - how much of that effects his chances is something that needs to be considered. Definitely a danger man in the sprint though.

Did I say sprint? I meant breakaway. It's a little bit exciting out at Buninyong today. Rarely has there been such a buzz about this national event.

137km remaining from 163km

Gerrans, is a proven performer and certainly the protected rider for GreenEdge today.

There is a theory that, with the green and gold bands such a significant target for the new WorldTour team, that it's one of their big hitters that needs to be flying the flag. It's not a bad point.

Gerrans is going really well at the moment or so says the riders we spoke to this morning before the race. Someone who has just appeared on the radar, and has been flying low is the veteran Stuart O'Grady. He's won the jersey before - back in 2003. It's been a while but why not! He is in the break.

Alex, you'll have to be careful calling O'Grady a "veteran"... He prefers "elder statesman"!

Another of the GreenEdge men that need to be considered, and for some reason is flying under the radar - and he actually prefers it that way - is Cameron Meyer.

He's been biding his time during the off season back in Perth getting plenty of hard training done. He looks fit and he's certainly up for it.

132km remaining from 163km

Second intermediate sprint,

Why haven't we mentioned the favourite on the tote for today's race, Matt Goss? It's unfortunate for GreenEdge's number one signing, but his form this January is still a fair way off what we saw in 2011. He's also had a slight niggle with his knee in recent weeks although it doesn't seem to be bothering him that much.

129km remaining from 163km

While GreenEdge have been heavily talked about, with their 16 rider strong team. The other WorldTour teams, and there are a few will no doubt be trying to form their own bloc. Garmin-Cervelo have three riders including Von Hoff, Sky have four including new signing Porte and Rabobank have Brown, Matthews and of course Mr. Renshaw.

125km remaining from 163km

Jane you talked to Renshaw earlier this month, how did he say the legs were when you spoke to him then?

Mark certainly seemed confident in where he was at heading into this weekend of racing, given he was taking on both the criterium on Thursday night where he took the silver medal, but he's the first to admit that he's really not suited for this course at Buninyong.

However, with that, his result at the criterium championships really got people talking about him as a serious contender for today's road race. I may have put a small bit of coin in his direction when I was placing my bets last night! He does look to be in great shape.

Patrick Shaw has crossed the gap. Ballarat boy and super motivated.

Alex, one thing is certain, there are plenty of smaller teams lining up to knock GreenEdge off their perch today and certainly cannot be discounted.

We've just seen Pat Shaw, who was described by teammate Anthony Giacoppo on Thursday evening as 'domestique extraordinare' and he's certainly matured over the last 12 months, bridge the gap. What are your thoughts?

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Both Sulzberger brothers are in the front group. Bit of brotherly love perhaps to decide the championship?

Anyway, back to the smaller teams racing today. Managed to speak to a few NRS managers who were frank about their chances but did mention that they would be trying to work together if at all possible.

Last update from the KOM and Pat Shaw (Genesys) has taken the point on offer there. O'Grady and Clarke behind.

Genesys also can never been written off. They've proven time and time again that they can "surprise" at bigger races. Giacoppo won on Thursday, can Pat Shaw take a result today?

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112km remaining from 163km

Will Clarke is looking good at the moment. We saw him in Thursday night's criterium championships where he finished

Clarke has moved across to Champion Systems the new ProConti outfit for 2012 after missing out on a spot on the roster for the newly merged RadioShack-Nissan-Trek, having been with Leopard-Trek.

While I am talking about the Tassie boys and you brushed over it before, I really believe that 2012 is going to be a resurgence in the careers of Wes and Bernie Sulzberger. They both performed really well at the Jayco Bay Classic.

107km remaining from 163km

I managed to have a quick work with GreenEdge financier Gerry Ryan before today's race and he had a few interesting things to say, as always.

He certainly wasn't nervous and said he rarely does get pre-race jitters however he admitted to only getting cranky when results don't go his way - and that includes with his horses.

Speaking of which, GreenEdge the horse, was racing in Ballarat on Thursday and a lot of people did their dough. Including myself. GreenEdge the horse finished 5th, apparently he got boxed in with Gerry blaming "pilot error". He'll be hoping it wasn't a sign of things to come today.

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Surprisingly the gap has reduced.

Just heading up to the climb now and the crowds are absolutely huge with  nine laps to go. Thousands of people strewn across the road..

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Lots of chopping and changing in the front group will update, more fully when the race settles a bit.

For those that don't know the Buninyong course, I'll run you through it.

The course is 10.1 kilometres long and starts almost immediately with a 2.6 kilometre climb on dead roads to the KOM.

After the KOM the race hits a false flat which last for another kilometre before the riders begin a long a technical descent.

From 3 kilometres to go it's all flat, if slightly downhill. The finishing straight comes after a final 90 degree corner, before the 400 metre sprint to the line.

75km remaining from 163km

I'm just sitting behind the Hansen group on the road. There's a lot of looking around.

Michael Cupitt has crashed from the third chase. Not serious.

Bobridge has blown up on the false flat. Not sure if he'll be able to rejoin the second group or not.

Luke Durbridge has just gone away from the chase group.with Durbridge in hot pursuit

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Okay, things are about to get interesting. It seems as though the front three groups are about to become one. Race on! We'll get you an update as soon as we can.

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Wes Sulzberger and Renshaw were seen marking the back of the chase group. Saving themselves or are the hurting a bit?

Stuart O'Grady is marking all the moves. Making it really hard for the riders in the chase to get across.

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Seems like a long way to the finish for Meyer to go solo. He's still the current time trial champion though so we know he can ride alone.

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Heinrich is getting some aid from the Genesys Wealth Adviser team car. If that's not strange enough it seems Allan Peiper is in the car with the Genesys staff. The obvious link is Haas and Von Hoff. Quite overt collusion though.

40km remaining from 163km

Haussler comes through for four to go. Looks smoother than Meyer, but the gap is still out around the 2:30 mark.

Pat Shaw just came through. Looks like he'll be jumping off the bike shortly. Great race from the local from Ballarat.

Matt Hayman is doing his best to close down the gap to the three riders in the escape. A tough ask though!

We're due to see Cameron Meyer go through the start finish area to get the three laps to go sign.

The cow bells are out in force here as Meyer goes through. If there's good news for Haussler and Durbridge, it's that Meyer is slowing down. That last lap was 17:12.

That works out to be Meyer's slowest lap so far. And certainly some way from his blistering 14:58 earlier.

Matt Wilson is flying solo, he's just gone through at 4:24 behind Meyer. Job done though.

Cam Meyer is about to be caught, he's just hurting too much so here we go. I hope you're all strapped in!

With two and a half laps to go, this is now falling back into the hands of Simon Gerrans, the protected rider for GreenEdge. The man to go after Gerrans' attack, it Richie Porte.

Will Clarke has just gone off the front.

Wes Sulzberger is keeping an eye on Clarke.

20km remaining from 163km

Be a dream story if O'Grady could win for GreenEdge. He's one of the most respected Australian riders out there.

Looks like there could be some rain just in time for the finish. Cyclingnews in our open position is not so happy about that.

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Porte goes again.

If it rains, my laptop will get wet. #justsaying This is self-less commentary right here.

10km remaining from 163km

This is going to be a great finish, Gerrans has to be favourite now. But if Sutton comes back to the leaders.

Gerrans looking smooth. Richie in full time trial mode.

1km remaining from 163km

Lloyd still happy to work. Not sure I agree with that from Lloyd.

Lloyd, Porte and Gerrans, all together. Lloyd attacks!

Gerrans wins! Lloyd second, Porte third.

Thanks for joining us today! It was a challenge with so many people at Buninyong overloading the network but we got there. We've seen a deserved Australian National Championship with Gerrans, and a top quality race.

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