Mountain rides have become popular as they enforce social distancing. Usually one or two riders will head into the high country and it does not take long for them to spread out.

Other Nowra Velo Club members stay with their local rides or go bush on gravel roads while many have gone indoors.

Online racing is available for riders who have indoor training machines that are Bluetooth compatible and can download an app to connect with a virtual race against their friends or against other clubs or anywhere in the world that an event or program may be operating.

One of these virtual races is described here and others are planned with local FTP coach Damian Mason preparing some virtual online events.

Set up with drinks, a fan and towels, a compatible laptop or TV and they are ready to race.

The Nowra Velo Club/Nowra Road Cyclists had three riders on the start line for Stage 5 of the Tour of Watopia (C Grade) Race on the weekend.

Dean Jackson, Michael Berriman and Gavin Nethery lined up against 85 other riders from around the Zwift Globe for a short 18km race around 3 laps of the Watopia Volcano Circuit.

The pace was high from the start and the relentless pace quickly caused splits in the large group.

Nethery made the first split of around 30 riders, while Berriman and Jackson made the second bunch which slowly fell backwards. Jackson made a valiant effort to bridge both riders back across but the pace of the first group was too much.

Nethery remained in contact with the front bunch while a short-lived six-man break went off the front.

This break was reeled back in with one lap to go and the finish was down to a hot bunch finish of around 20 riders inside the walls of the Watopia Volcano. Nethery finished ninth, three seconds down on the winning rider.

Dean Jackson finished 35th, 1 min 37 sec down, while Berriman finished further back at 64th, 3 min 39 sec down.

Amelia Trkulja reports on her activities while competition is shut down due to coronavirus.

"At the moment I'm not really following a full training program, I'm just going out for solo rides, mountain biking or doing Zwift sessions on the kickr," she said.

"Sometimes if I'm doing ergo sessions, I will FaceTime a friend so we can do our sessions together.

"I'm also doing a lot more gym work and stretching at home and going out for runs as well.

"Not knowing when competition will start back makes it really hard to get motivated but I think this is great opportunity to get more base kilometres in and prepare for when racing does eventually resume.

"I think it is also really important to keep active even if it is just going for a walk or going for a swim at the beach."