Frustrated Rohan Dennis uncertain about national road race start after freak accident

ROHAN Dennis uncertain over national road race start as he recovers from a freak accident in the time trial at Burrumbeet.

Rohan Dennis suffered an unfortunate fall during the time trial.

ROHAN Dennis admits there is some doubt whether he will start Sunday's road race at the national championships as he recovers from a freak accident in the time trial at Burrumbeet.

The Garmin-Sharp 23-year-old was picked up by a whirly-wind during the 45km race and sent sprawling across the road. He got back on his bike but later abandoned as his Olympic teammate Michael Hepburn surged to victory.

Dennis has skin missing from both elbows, his right forearm, hip, knee, shoulder both and hands and knuckles, but was cleared of any broken bones in hospital.

He is hoping to get out on his bike for one hour in Ballarat on Thursday to test his injured body ahead of Sunday's 183.6km road race at Buninyong.

"I was going to try to get on the bike but I'll have to see, I think my pedals are a bit ruined but if they're okay I'll get out for an hour to spin the legs and not stiffen up too much," he said.

"That will be my first assessment on how my body is towards Sunday.

"By the TDU (Tour Down Under) everything will be fine but nationals is a little bit closer so it's a little bit unknown."

Dennis said the most frustrating thing about the crash was he spent so much of December and January training to be in the best possible condition for the race against the clock, which is becoming one of his specialities as a road rider.

"I put a lot of effort into the time trial and the road race is still up in the air," he said.

"I'm not sure what the go is there but I'll try to start, but it is pretty frustrating when I look at the effort I put into it and something completely out of my control ruins it."

The crash happened about 12km in to the race and while Dennis had not been given a time check, he said he was feeling as good as he ever had on a time trial bike.

"Which is also frustrating because if I wasn't having a good day, 'okay, it probably wouldn't have ended well anyway' but, yer."

He has recalled the moment he saw the wind whipping up on the side of the road then finding himself lifted from the ground.

"I could see wind blowing (on the roadside) then all of a sudden I saw this whirly-whirly in front of me and then I was in the middle of it and on my arse," Dennis said.

"I got ripped off my bike and was sliding on the ground.

"From there I stopped and got up and wasn't near my bike ... I got back on but my head and my body was pretty sore so I thought there was no point and I got off."

Dennis has endured a wretched run of bad luck in the past two summers.

Last year he broke his collarbone in a training crash then had to miss the Tour Down Under after contracting viral meningitis.

The 2014 MARS Cycling Australia Road National Championships continue with the men's and women's criteriums in Ballarat on Thursday night.