The man who will oversee the biggest sporting event to come to the Illawarra has a trifecta of qualifications.
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Dean Dalla Valle was born and bred in Wollongong, is a keen cyclist and is part of the Australian business community.
Mr Dalla Valle was named the chair of the 2022 UCI Road World Championships board. He will be joined by members with business, sporting and media expertise and they have been tasked with ensuring the event's success.
The championships will showcase Wollongong to the world for a week-long cycling event that will see more than 1000 competitors from 50 countries take on the road race and individual and team time trail events.
Mr Dalla Valle told the Mercury he was "excited" to be organising the event and wanted to put Wollongong on the world cycling stage.
"Wollongong is my home town, I was born and bred there and I am a University of Wollongong graduate," he said.
"Wollongong is a stunning location and it will be on a global stage with 300,000 spectators travelling to the city to and 200 million people watching on television.
"I have also cycled on the roads where the world's championship races are likely to be held.
"The event will be great promotion for Wollongong, NSW and Australia.
"We want to make the 2022 event one of the best world championships."
The businessman said he loved to cycle but had "a better bike than ability".
Mr Dalla Valle tries to clock 100 kms to 200 kms on the weekend as a way to stay fit.
"I regularly ride the Sea Cliff Bridge and Mount Keira routes," he said.
Mr Dalla Valle is the executive officer of Pacific National, Australia's largest rail freight business. He works in Sydney and often travels to Wollongong. He also has a home and family in Wollongong.
Mr Dalla Valle began his mining career at BHP in underground coal mining in the Illawarra region. He has since worked around the country and overseas.
The event is expected to have to bring in $94 million to NSW and the Illawarra during and before the race with many riders likely to coming before to test the course.
"We hope to create a long-lasting cycling legacy in the region which could be in the form of infrastructure or nurturing cycling as a sport in the region," Mr Dalla Valle said.
"As a board, we want to find ways for locals to get behind the event and we will be consulting with residents about the route to minimise the impact but maximise the race event.
"There are many people on the board who are able to run a large-scale event and everyone should be rest-assured the event will be great."
The other board members include Besen executive officer Duncan Murray, media executive Brian Gallagher, artistic director of theatrical productions, major events and live entertainment Michael Cassel, Geoff Wilson who has almost 40 years of experience in investment markets, former international cyclist Katherine Bates, Destination NSW's director of sport and strategic events Steve Keogh and Dr Phil Hamdorf, executive director of sport development at the NSW Office of Sport.