The rumbling of concerns about next month's UCI World Road Championships in Wollongong are to be expected.
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They come in the lead-in to any major international sports event, as they did before the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2010 world road cycling championships in Geelong.
With the 2022 world road titles from September 18-25 fast approaching, Wollongong locals have raised a number of issues, from road closures and the impact on local business, to questions about the financial boon the titles will bring.
There have also been concerns shared in the greater Sydney area out of Wollongong about a lack of pre-event publicity for the world championships and awareness that they are on.
However, it would be wrong to assume that because of those concerns the world championships will not be a success.
The legacy of the world road championships should not only be judged by our memories of the world class competition we will see and their impact on the local and state economy.
It should also be reflected by the event's ability to inspire young champions to be with their dreams to compete, and for more people in all generations to embrace cycling as the environmentally friendly source of recreation and physical and mental well-being that it is.
The world championships should also heighten better understanding for road safety, especially the issue of road sharing by all transport forms.
One of the best aspects of cycling is its diversity. From the nations, cultures, languages and personalities of those who participate.
There is also the varying terrain it's pursued on and its many disciplines: from road, mountain biking, BMX, cyclo-cross and trial, to indoor, gravel and E-sports cycling.
And the world championships, whether they are on the road or any other discipline, showcases that diversity at its best. This is the chance to witness the world's best cyclists in national jerseys, rather than trade team strips.
Some may wonder where all the stars are?
Or they may wonder why can't we see an influx of world talent preparing for the championships in the Wollongong region now?
But rest assured, the 'invasion' will come and it will be sudden.
Most riders and national team staff will come to Wollongong from international racing commitments that will run right up until the week before the world titles that start with the elite men's and women's time trials on Sunday September 18.
So, don't interpret the current absence of big name riders and pelotons training in the surrounds of Wollongong with flashy team support cars in their wake, as a 'Nothing to See Here' sign.
It is what happened before the first world road championships I ever covered - at Villach, Austria in 1987.
They ended spectacularly with Irishman Stephen Roche winning off a daring late solo attack to become the second rider after the great Eddy Merckx to claim cycling's 'Triple Crown' - that being, victories in the world championship, Giro d'Italia and Tour de France wins all in the same year.
I have seen it over and over; from the 10 other world road championships I have had the fortune to attend - from Ronse in Belgium (1988), Chambéry in France (1989), Utsunomiya in Japan (1990), Stuttgart in Germany (1991), Benidorm in Spain (1992), Oslo in Norway (1993), Agrigento in Italy (1994), Duitama in Colombia (1995) to Geelong in Australia (in 2010) and Copenhagen in Denmark (2011).
At all of them, one day the host town or city is operating as normal, the next day there are pelotons riding through local roads in national jerseys, all followed by team cars; or foreigners (from riders and team staff to fans, media, sponsors and world cycling officials) speaking myriad languages congregating in shops, cafés, bars and restaurants.
The world championships are a celebration of competition, culture and connectivity for all.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Get involved. Immerse yourself in what is to come.
This will be fun ... whether you are a cyclist or not.
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