A course of 267 kilometres, with a total elevation of 3945m and maximum incline of 15 per cent.
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Welcome to Wollongong, world, it will test even the best.
The Illawarra will host the 2022 ICU world championships, starting September 18 and involving more than 1000 of the best international riders.
On Thursday, the official course was announced, including 266.9km for the men and 164.3km for women, starting at Helensburgh and winding south along the Sea Cliff Bridge and along Lawrence Hargrave Drive to Wollongong's city centre.
The scenic part of the event comes before the demanding ride west and up Mount Keira, with a 473m elevation and a demanding section to match some of the spectacular European climbs.
After completing the loop, they'll then navigate a 10km descent through Kembla Heights and Figtree, then into the Wollongong city circuit, with 12 laps for men and six laps for women.
Then the field will attack the Mount Pleasant climb along Ramah Avenue, where over 1.1km the riders will climb 119m at an average gradient of 7.7 per cent.
Just 300m into the climb the incline reaches a maximum 14 per cent gradient, then demands a further 800m uphill effort from the athletes before they push into a fast descent.
It means the women will climb 2433m elevation and the men 3945m in total, which organisers have declared make it comparable to a major mountain stage of the Tour de France.
The elite road races will be held on the weekend of September 24 and 25.
In announcing the official course, UCI president David Lappartient said the course was designed to engage the Illawarra community as well as test the riders.
"The UCI delegation that visited Wollongong in February is very excited about the tough, technical and ambitious courses designed by the organising Committee in partnership with the UCI.
"These courses will attract the world's top riders to Wollongong, all eager to be the athlete who triumphs in conditions that really test their skills and ability.
"The courses have also been designed to create special experiences for our spectators, with lots of activity focused around the Wollongong city centre, where the riders will pass by multiple times. Fans will be able to witness the critical moments unfold against the backdrop of a quintessential Australian beach and the beautiful escarpment."
The Wollongong City Circuit will be focus of the male (eight laps) and female (four laps) junior races, along with the men under 23 (10 laps), involving 33 turns through suburban Wollongong.
The women's elite individual time trial will open the 2022 UCI Road World Championship program, racing two laps of a city-based circuit that starts on Market Street in the centre and stretches to Towradgi for a total race distance of 34.2km.
The men's under 23, men's and women's junior individual time trials and mixed relay team time trial will take place on a slightly shorter circuit.
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
