Melissa Hoskins will be commemorated at the Australian road cycling championships as the sport mourns her death.

International cycling has been rocked by the tragic loss of the mother of two, who was 32.

Hoskins was a two-time Olympian on the track and won a world championship, as well as competing professionally on the road for Australian team GreenEDGE.

Her husband, newly retired road professional Rohan Dennis, faces charges over Hoskins’ death following a traffic incident on December 30.

They were a high-profile couple in Australian cycling and the January 3-7 nationals at Ballarat will be the sport’s first event since the tragedy.

AusCycling will pay official tribute in Ballarat to Hoskins, who rode several times at the road nationals, with details to be confirmed.

The Australian cycling year has started previously with the Bay Classic criterium series in and around Geelong, but promoter John Trevorrow ended the event after nearly three decades because of rising costs and planning difficulties.

These nationals will also be historic, with AusCycling to move from Ballarat next year to an undisclosed venue.

Promoter John Craven revamped the nationals in 1999 when he moved the event to Portarlington, near Geelong, in 1999 and then to Ballarat in 2002.

Apart moving to the Adelaide Hills in 2005-06, Ballarat has hosted the nationals since.

There will be mixed emotions about next January’s relocation, with annual protests from some riders that the testing 10-kilometre circuit at Buninyong, outside Ballarat, restricted the number of riders who could seriously contend for the blue riband road race titles.

This week’s racing will provide important early-season markers as many of Australia’s top road cyclists aim for the Paris Olympics.

There will be 16 reigning and former Australian champions racing in Ballarat across the time trial, criterium and road race events.

The first elite racing will be the Thursday afternoon time trials at Mount Helen, with the twilight criteriums in Ballarat and the road races on Sunday at Buninyong.

Luke Plapp, who has won the past two road race titles, looms as a key Australian rider in the time trial at the Paris Games.

Grace Brown is the strong favourite in the women’s time-trial, while three-time winner Amanda Spratt will try to regain the road race title.

Brodie Chapman, another likely Paris team member, will defend her road race title, while sprint ace Caleb Ewan is the rider to watch in the men’s criterium as he guns for a fourth national championship.

-AAP