John Trevorrow's gamble looks like paying off, with the Bay Classic cycling series set to return in Victoria over the weekend despite Australia's COVID-19 surge.

Lucas Plapp is the highest-profile casualty, forced to stay in Tasmania as a close contact.

But AusCycling confirmed on Friday afternoon that he will be in Ballarat next Wednesday to defend his national time trial championship.

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist helped launch the series last month and would have been one of the top riders in the men's elite field.

But given how other sports are struggling with event cancellations and positive cases, Trevorrow has done well to put the races on again after a year's absence.

The series has been pared back to two races on Saturday and Sunday on Geelong's Eastern Park circuit, with the crowd able to spread out for social distancing.

"It's my baby - I started it in 1989 and it means a lot to me," Trevorrow said.

"I was so disappointed we couldn't do it last year.

"A lot of people want it to happen."

Trevorrow said he received strong support when he floated the return of the series, including from title sponsor Lexus of Blackburn.

"Andrew Moore said 'if you've got the balls to do it, I'm backing you," Trevorrow said of the company owner.

The women's field will feature top Australian Grace Brown, who finished fourth in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.

Brown needed shoulder surgery after Tokyo, ending her season prematurely, and she is racing the Bay Classic criteriums for the first time to start a big season.

After the Bay Classic, Brown will also race this month at the road nationals in Ballarat and then Adelaide's Santos Festival Of Cycling before going to Europe.

"It's hard to say no to John," she said.

"It will be good, just because it's been so long since I've raced.

"It will be nice to get in a bunch and have a bit of a hit-out."

Brown has joined French team FdJ after three years making a name for herself in the Australian GreenEDGE organisation.

"A lot of people were surprised to hear that I was leaving the Australian outfit and jumping on board with the French team," she said.

"But I'm pretty excited about my decision to try something different.

"The team has a lot going for it and it's on its way up.

"They have a really good vision of where I'm going to be in the team and how I'm going to help them achieve their goals ... they won me over with their passion and culture."

While Brown narrowly missed a medal in Tokyo, she said fourth in a stacked time trial field was encouraging.

"It showed I'm capable of a medal ... it gives me a lot of firepower and confidence," she said.