The Bay crits are gone and Mt Buninyong will be barren, meaning a new-look January for Australian cycling.

For the better part of two decades, the early-season race calendar had much the same rhythm - Geelong for the Bay classic criteriums, then Ballarat and Buninyong for the road nationals, then to Adelaide for the Tour Down Under.

Since 2015, Geelong's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race has capped the busy domestic schedule.

But the Bay classic will not go ahead for a second year. Then AusCycling took a deep breath and made the big call to move the nationals from Victoria to Perth on a three-year deal.

While the Tour Down Under remains the month's jewel in the crown, celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the Cadel race is also well-established, the demise of the Bay crits and the move west for the nationals represent a big shift.

"A lot of people on the east coast aren't too happy that the nationals have gone to Perth, but we've had the luxury of having it in one place ... for two decades, which was fantastic," said nationals competition director and Olympic cycling gold medallist Scott McGrory.

"An opportunity has popped up, to spread the love and that's what we're doing.

"It's in a major city, we haven't been able to do. It's going to be sensational and all three disciplines - road race, time trial and criterium - are so close to the CBD."

WA also boasts a strong cycling culture, headlined by Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley, fellow Grand Tour contender Ben O'Connor, highly respected domestique Luke Durbridge, Olympic track gold medallists Sam Welsford, Oliver Bleddyn and Conor Leahy and leading women's road rider Alex Manly.

Of those stars, only O'Connor will not be on the start line for the January 11 women's and January 12 men's road races in Perth.

The other obvious talking point is the 13.6 circuit at King's Park for the women's and men's road races.

For years, top sprinters such as Robbie McEwen wanted a change to the nationals course because the Mt Buninyong circuit was too selective.

While King's Park features a climb only 400m from the finish, it is regarded as a much more open course.

"Look, the discussion on the course itself is not just about the sport, it comes down to logistics, councils, road closures, and budgets," McGrory said.

"Also the sport has actually changed ... the best guys have to come the nationals fit now to have that advantage they used to have even at 80 per cent fitness.

"But the course now does make it so much more open."

Defending champion and Paris Olympian Ruby Roseman-Gannon will be among the favourites again, while Hindley, Welsford and the powerful Jayco AlUla team are expected to be key players in the men's road race.

The criteriums will be held on a circuit at suburban Northbridge and are expected to draw massive crowds, while Bold Park will host the time trials.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD CYCLING IN JANUARY:

* January 8-9 - national time trial championships, Bold Park, Perth

* January 10 - national criterium championships, Northbridge, Perth

* January 11-13 - national road race championships, King's Park, Perth

* January 17-26 - men's and women's Tour Down Under and support races, Adelaide and surrounding areas

* January 29-February 2 - Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Races and support events, Geelong and Surf Coast.