What does an international cyclist eat after they finish the longest world championship road race in recent memory?
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For the Ukrainian team, it was a home-cooked meal of varenyky at Tanya Dus's apartment.
"They're like potato dumplings, and they just loved it - carbs on carbs, perfect as they're very exhausted," she said.
Ms Dus and a group of Ukrainian Australians hosted two of the Ukrainian male cyclists and their coaches for a night of Ukrainian specialities.
"We had Ukrainians from Sydney and Wollongong greeting them and we sang a bit, a few resistance songs, and the national anthem at the end."
For the Ukrainian team, competing in Wollongong came with a few additional layers.
With their homeland at war, the men had to get special dispensation to travel to Australia as men between 18 and 60 are only allowed to leave Ukraine under special circumstances.
Since arriving in Wollongong, the Ukrainian team has become almost as cheered on as the home nation, as numerous yellow and blue flags line the course and with support from local bicycle stores along the way.
Ms Dus said the riders were touched and had heard the cheers of locals in their language.
"There was a little contingent in Lang Park that was screaming out, they heard us shouting for Ukraine, and they were very buoyed by it."
Ukrainians in Wollongong have been travelling to the heart of Sydney's Ukrainian community in Lidcombe to support with rehoming efforts for those Ukrainians who have made it to Australia and organising donations to send abroad.
For the professional cyclists, being able to compete was tinged with mixed emotions, on the one hand enjoying not having to listen for all-too-common air raid sirens, but on the other knowing that the struggle continued for those back home.
"It's really difficult when you see them, enjoying the freedom here and things that they really relish and then knowing what they're going back to. It's actually quite heartbreaking," Ms Dus said.
With the team now packed up and heading back home, Ms Dus said the cyclists would be taking the support of Wollongong back with them to Ukraine.
"They told us, 'We know you're supporting us from the other side of the world,'" Ms Dus said.
"They know not just Ukrainian Australians, but Australians stand with them."
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