MOMENTUM continues to build ahead of the Tour of the Great South Coast, which will move into top gear early next week.
Hundreds of riders and their support crews will roll into Mount Gambier for the dynamic cycling fixture, which will throw a national spotlight on the region.
Residents are also being urged to plan ahead given there will be rolling road closures in Mount Gambier and the district during the event.
Temporary road closures on Tuesday will impact residential streets that circle the Vansittart Park as well as John Watson Drive and sections of Bay Road, O’Halloran Terrace, Wehl Street and Lake Terrace West.
The race will then head to Port MacDonnell on Wednesday that will see road closures along a section of Sea Parade.
Tour organiser John Craven said the event was on track to be a massive success given the high calibre of riders in the field.
“You won’t see any better calibre rider,” Mr Craven said.
He said he hoped for fine and calm weather conditions throughout the tour, which in previous years had been hit with wet conditions in the Blue Lake city.
“We have had some ferocious weather in recent weeks, but I am hoping we are all rained out,” Mr Craven said.
“I would love to see sunny skies and large crowds.”
In a major coup, Australia’s world record-breaking teams pursuit track cycling squad will use the race as a key strength-building event in its preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Tim Decker – who is the coach of the world renowned squad – said the team was looking forward to the Mount Gambier event.
“The Great South Coast tour is a tremendous race because there’s something in the course for everybody,” Mr Decker said.
“It’s an important build-up event for us, with the Tokyo Olympics looming.”
The six-day tour, which starts in Mount Gambier, will be raced over a spectacular and challenging 541km course before finishing on Portland’s waterfront next Sunday.
Another major development is the fact eight hours of live coverage and highlights will be screened online via the Fox Kayo App and the Cycling Australia NRS Facebook page.
Cycling Australia general manager- Sport Kipp Kaufmann described the planned coverage as a “tremendous boost” for the event.
“This tour is one of the success stories of Australian road cycling,” he said.
“It is well worthy of the national and international media exposure it will receive.”
Founded in 2012, the eighth Tour of the Great South Coast is backed by the Victorian State Government and four municipalities – the City of Mount Gambier, District Council of Grant and Naracoorte Lucindale Council in South Australia,and Victoria’s Glenelg Shire Council.
