The 2020 Lexus Blackburn Bay Crites will kick off on January 3 in Geelong, Victoria. The criterium series, which kicks off Australia's "summer of cycling," will once again welcome national criterium champion Brenton Jones, who also won the overall series in 2014.

Jones has raced in Europe for the past two seasons with the French team Delco Marseille Provence, but this season he will join the British Continental team Canyon dhb p/b Soreen, hoping to at least make the pro European program so that he can step up to at least the Pro Continental level the following season.

However, the 28-year-old sprinter will be part of the Composite team at the Bay Critz in Geelong on Friday and the Novotel Mitchelton on the weekend.

"With Luke and Kayden, it's a strong team with a good mix of riders and good experience," Jones told Cycling News.

"We're hoping to go for a stage win and an overall win."

"I think for the Aussie team, this series is everything. It's the first big event of the summer in Australia, so it's good publicity, it's good for the teams, it's good for the sponsors, it's a chance to get noticed, break out, and try to get some results. On the other hand, it's also important for European riders, and for riders like me who are going back abroad.

Jones has a special connection to Bay Critz, as his mother, Karin Jones, is the event organizer and John Trevorrow, a former pro and family friend, is the race director.

"I've always had a special incentive to do well at Bay Critz," Trevorrow said. 'Every year since then, he's been on the podium and in the top spots, always looking for the win.' He came to my wedding two weeks ago." It's a family affair, and being friends with John means that my connection to racing inspires me to perform."

In 2020, the first two races at Geelong will change locations from last year, with Friday at the Ritchie Boulevard Course and Saturday at the at the Eastern Gardens Course. The race will then move to Williamsstown, a little closer to Melbourne, for the series finale.

"There are often no more than 20 riders who finish the Richie Boulevard race," Jones told Cycling News about the men's race. Maybe only 15 riders will finish, and if you look at the elite riders, only about that many will finish this year because it's a tough, intense race."

"It's a sprint, corner, sprint, corner kind of race, and you have to keep doing that for an hour, so positioning is important.

"The Eastern Gardens course is a bit more flowing, a Kermes-style race," Jones continued.

"It's a little longer, 1.9 kilometers, which opens up the possibility of breakaways. Last year, a breakaway won and my teammate Raphael Freyenstein finished second on the stage.

The third and final race in Williamstown is "one of my favorites," Jones said.

"I've finished behind Caleb Yuan a couple of times there, so I think I know how to race. He's not here this year and I want to take it. It's a fast circuit with flowing corners. You have to brake a bit, but otherwise it's a very easy square criterium.

Lotto-Soudal sprinter Ewan won both the Ritchie Boulevard and Williamstown last January and took his first three stage wins at the Tour de France in July. His absence from this year's Bay Critz only strengthens Jones' resolve.

"Of course," Jones agreed. 'Caleb is a gun rider. Over the years, there have been times when I have outperformed him on the Bay Critz stage, but there have also been many times when he has come out on top.

Jones also heads into this year's Bay Criteria as the national criterium champion, having won the title for the first time a week after last year's series.

"The Bay Crit gives me the opportunity to sharpen my legs, replicate what I need to do for the national criterium championships, and get into the rhythm of criterium racing," Jones said.

"You can train all day for a criterium race, but it's important to actually compete in one and get a taste of the intensity and the unpredictability of what cycling is all about.

"I have been on the podium many times in criterium championships and won last year. It shows how well I can perform after Bay Crit. The Bay Crit is fun, enjoyable, and a good race. Bay Klit is fun, fun, fun, and a good race.

Jones returns to Europe again this year after two years with French pro conti team Delko Marseille Provence, joining British continental level team Canyon dhb p/b Soreen.

The Australian won two stages at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon, Africa, with the team in 2018 and a stage at the Tour of Taihu Lake in China in 2019, as well as stage wins at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, also in China, both years

"The Tour of France is the most successful Tour in the world.

"My two years with the French team were a great experience. He competed twice in Paris-Roubaix with the French professional team and competed with Richie Porte and others in Paris-Nice.

"I won some races with them and they were happy. But now I'm looking forward to a new challenge at Canyon dhb."

"They are a continental team, but they have a race calendar and a setup like a pro conti team. Everyone is motivated to support each other and I'm looking forward to it," said Jones, who also raced for British team JLT Condor during the 2017 season.

"I tried to find a pro contract this year (Pro Conti or World Tour), but there are a lot of teams looking for very young riders and climbers, and I don't fit into either of those categories," he laughed. It's tough as a sprinter. I have World Tour-level ability, but it's hard to make it happen. But the Canyon calendar gives me a chance in Europe.

Jones said there is a clear shift toward teams trying to attract young, talented climbers.

"I think teams are definitely looking at younger players right now. These are riders who are motivated, have no family, and have nothing to hold them back from going to high altitude training camps for months at a time. [But the teams are missing out on the experience they could get from riders like me and many others who are now retired. It's unfortunate in that respect, but that's what a lot of teams are doing."

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