Cadel Evans must negotiate plenty of roadblocks before appearance, writes Rupert Guinness Will Cadel Evans race in the Australian road championships next month? The prospect is certainly real, following Cycling Australia's announcement on Saturday that he had "registered" for the men's elite road race, to be held at Buninyong, near Ballarat, Victoria on January 12. As exciting as it is, however, don't yet bank on the 36-year-old's appearance. There is a big difference between registering and starting the race, and Evans' remarks in Cycling Australia's statement should not be taken lightly. He said his actual start would still depend on several factors, ranging from his form at the time to his BMC team's approval. "The nationals road race presents the first genuine racing opportunity of the year," Evans said. Provided my training form continues as planned, and following a final consultation with my team, I'm looking forward to lining up on Sunday morning for a solid hit out against a quality field. Evans rarely starts a race unless he is ready for it, or has a particular reason to race it, such as planning a specific effort to help raise him to the next level at which he needs to be. And in an event such as the nationals, where he will not be able to rely on a regular supply of BMC teammates, he will also know that if he does start, the numbers will be against him, with the bigger teams like Orica-GreenEDGE and Drapac stacking the field. Evans carefully plans each day of his year, from training to racing and recovery, so for him to race the nationals he must not just have the form; there must also be a gain that a solid training ride cannot offer. He may not make that call until very late. "It's always going to be a challenge taking on the larger teams such as Orica-GreenEDGE and Drapac without my BMC teammates in support," said Evans, who is training at his home in Barwon Heads. But I would expect the race to give me a good early season form guide, leading into a solid block of racing over the coming months. Evans already had his season carefully planned before Saturday's news. He will start racing earlier next year after a decision by he and the BMC team to focus on trying to win the Giro d'Italia, in which he was third this year after a short six-week preparation, rather than the Tour. Hence his plan, announced some time ago, to race in the Tour Down Under in South Australia on January 21-26 after his appearance in the People's Choice Classic lead-up event in Adelaide on January 19. Will the nationals be too soon? Only Evans can answer that. Even then he probably won't know the answer until soon beforehand.