Tour website : www.tourofbright.com.au

• TOB 24 - BiciSport race dates

  • Race dates - 29 Nov-1 Dec 2024

    • TOB 24 is two days with a separate inner city twilight criterium on the Friday night before in downtown Bright … so an optional criterium on the Friday then the main TOB 24 over the Saturday & Sunday

• Weather Forecast

  • Tues - 17-22 @ 80% chance of rain @ 10mm-20mm

  • Wed - 14-23 @ 70% @ 5mm-10mm

  • Thurs - 12-22 @ 60% @ 5mm-10mm

  • Fri - 12-23 @ 60% @ 1mm-5mm

  • Sat - 11-23 @ 40% @ 5mm-10mm

  • Sun - 13-23 @ 90% @ 1mm-5mm

• Discussion points

  • Pre Circuit checks - pothole checks (all circuits), Feed Zones support tbc, team clothing, ITT equipment, support cars with roof racks, Flanders tent, team accessories

  • Efforts - nothing heavy on Thursday or Friday

  • Strategies - Field of Play, Break formations, Rosewhite, Sprint and/or KOM options, Sprint locales

  • Start Times - Pre start roll out, Team accom to start line timings (RR - 15 min, ITT - 20 min), Sign On, Spares Vehicles (no), Littering, Race Flashing Lights, Presentations

• Bright Training Rides - contact MOR on 0417 403 244

  • Training rides all start from the Dudley House

    • Tues 26 Nov - Dudley House to Harrietville & return … depart 3.30pm from Dudley House

    • Wed 27 Nov - to be confirmed

    • Thurs 28 Nov - to be confirmed

    • Fri 30 Nov

      • 10.00am - for Buckland Valley ITT recce

      • 3.30pm - Team Meeting @ Dudley House

      • 4.00pm - Team photo @ Dudley House driveway

    • Sat 1 Dec - no ride planned

    • Sun 2 Dec - no ride planned

    • Mon 3 Dec - 10.30am for Harrietville via Bike Path

    • Tues 4 Dec - 9.30am for Buckland Valley

    • Wed 5 Dec - no ride planned

• Racing in Bright

  • Riders need to attach a static tail light for all stages

  • No spares vehicles are provided during any stage - riders need to carry own spares

  • Saturday Road Race has Feed Zones

• Friday

  • Team photo is at the Dudley House @ 4.00pm

  • Friday Night Criterium in Bright town centre (optional)

    • 5.00pm - Junior race

    • 5.30pm - C+D grade

    • 6.15pm - A+B grade

  Saturday

  • Tour Stage 1 is an early Saturday morning road stage over 92k (finishing atop Tawonga Gap). Feeding Zone support - TBC

  • Stage 2 - a Saturday afternoon Individual Time Trial over 17.5k in the nearby Buckland Valley

    • Stage 1 … Masters C - Riders tbc @ 7.45am

      • stage time benchmark 3 hrs + 25 minute peloton envelope

    • Stage 1 … Masters 6+ - Riders tbc @ 8.05am

    • Stage 1 … Women C - Riders tbc @ 8.15am

    • Stage 2 … ITT at Buckland Valley - Start sequence

      • start Egglestones Lane, down to the bridge and finishing back at Harris Lane

      • Sequence - Mens B, Masters B, Men C, Masters C, Masters 6+, Wom B, Wom C, Wom A, Masters A, Elite A

• Sunday

  • Stage 3 is a short sharp Bright-Mt Buffallo Road stage on the Sunday morning

  • Start times - Masters 6+ 7.15am, Wom A 7.25am, Wom B 7.35am, Wom C 7.45am, Masters A 8.00am, Men B 8.10am, Masters B 8.20am, Men A 8.30am, Men C 8.40am, Masters C 8.50am

• Dudley House

  • Brown (D - Wed to Wed), Hoskin/Wright (T - Tues to Sun), Holland/Pager (T -Thurs to Mon, Tues to Wed), Figg (S - Tues to Wed), Cooke (S - Thurs to Mon + Team bits)

• MOR House

  • MOR (D - from Tues), Grant + 1 (D - Wed to Mon), Signor (D)

• Team personnel + roof racks

  • O’Reilly (Manager). Figg (Soigneur), Signor (Soigneur), Cooke (Driver)

    Accommodation

    • MOR House

      • Tues 26 Nov out Mon 2 Dec 2024 - 3 br - 1 = 1 x D + on suite, 2 & 3 = 1 x D, 1 x Double Bunks

    • Dudley House

      • Tues 26 Nov/out Wed 4 Dec 2024 - 5 br - 1 x double + 4 x split singles

Dinners :

• Sat - Porepunkah Pub - @ 7.00pm

• Sun

  • Presentations 3.00pm @ Bright Brewery, Dudley House + Pannatone Award @ 5.00pm

• BiciSport contact : Mike O’Reilly on 0417 403 244

December 21 – 22, 2024
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at Wollombi Gravel Fest—a full weekend of exhilarating rides, gourmet dining, local wines, and the tranquil beauty of the Wollombi Valley. 

Join Gravel riding legends Tiff Cromwell and Valtteri Botas as we kick off the weekend on Friday night with ride check-in and a pre-ride dinner, setting the stage for your choice of an epic 90km ride through the breathtaking Watagans or a shorter ride on Yango Creek Road on Saturday. 

After conquering the trails, explore the tiny village of Wollombi and indulge in a smoked BBQ festival complete with live music and craft beer on Saturday evening. 

On Sunday, unwind with a leisurely recovery ride up the Boree Valley followed by a delicious brunch. 

Go to www.wollombigravel.com.au

FLANDERS FOLLIES 2025 OVERVIEW

• In 2025 the races to see are -

  • Nokere Kourse, Denain Grand Prix, E3 Grand Prix, Ghent Wevelgem, Dwars Vlaanderen, Ronde van Vlaanderen & Paris Roubaix, Ronde van Limberg & Brabant Pijl

• In 2025 the cyclosportives to ride are -

  • Denain, Dwars Vlaanderen, Ghent Wevelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen & Paris Roubaix.

• in 2025 the accommodation being -

  • is at the Kokerelle B&B in the village of Maarke Kerkem near the Eikenberg climb.

  • Kokerelle B&B is just 5k from Oudenaarde (Oudenaarde translates to ‘Old Fields’ in Flemish). Kokerelle has been used by BiciSport for 10 years

The races & cyclosportives -

15 Mar - Monsere Anniversary Tribute 16 Mar - Denain CycloSportive 19 Mar - Nokere Course 20 Mar - Denain Grand Prix

22 Mar - Dwars Vlaanderen Cyclosportive 22 Mar - BiciSport Velle Junior Race

28 Mar - E3 Grand Prix 29 Mar - Gent Wevelgem Cyclosportive 30 Mar - Gent Wevelgem

3 Apr - Dwars Vlaanderen 5 Apr - Ronde van Vlaanderen Cyclosportive 6 Apr - Ronde van Vlaanderen

April

11 Apr - Wallers PR Dinner 12 Apr - Paris Roubaix Cyclosportive, Paris Roubaix (Women) 13 Apr - Paris Roubaix (U19, U23, Professionals) 16 Apr - Ronde van Limberg 18 Apr - Brabant Pijl

MONSERE ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE @ RETIE - 15 MAR

NOKERE COURSE - 19 Mar

• Course

  • Starting in Deinze, with a big rural loop through Flanders, over the Holleweg cobbles near Oudenaarde, then several laps around the Wannegem-Lede cobbles to finish in the tiny village Nokere.

• Seeing the action

  • Vantage points are pretty good.

  • Seeing the start in Deinze is not practical (too far away) but if the weather is good then its possible to see Holleweg & Wannegem-Lede cobbles by bike then maybe head to Nokere village by bike.

  • If its wet - its a car to Holleweg cobbles then to the finish at Nokere and find a beer tent.

DENAIN GRAND PRIX - 20 Mar

• Course

  • A mini Paris Roubaix Classic at 200k with 12 pave (cobbled) sections and several pave sections used in the Paris Roubaix Classic (around Haspres, Quivey & Viesly).

  • Denain is ‘famous’ for coal mining & a steelworks (which closed in 1978).

  • The race starts & finishes in Denain with one big (northern) loop out of Denain, then local laps around Denain, then a southern loop with the Paris Roubaix cobbles south of Denain around Quivey, Viesly & Haspres.

• Seeing the action

  • Vantage points are very good, and even more so on a bike. The Police dislike cars - so seeing the race by bike is the best.

  • Options are to see the Denain start, then two more viewings on the northern loop just after the start, then watch the local laps just outside Denain, then head to the Haspres cobbles.

BICISPORT sponsored VELLE JUNIOR RACE - 22 Mar

• The third year of the BiciSport sponsored Junior Race which starts & finishes in the village of Velle.

• Velle is 20k from Antwerp

E3 GRAND PRIX - 28 Mar

• Course

  • A mini Ronde van Vlaanderen with numerous climbs used that are also in the Ronde on 6 April. The race starts & finishes in Harelbeke then the usual rural Flanders loop in and around Oudenaarde.

  • Every cobbled berg in the region is used in some shape or form.

• Seeing the action

  • Vantage points are just about everywhere.

  • No seeing the start finish in Harelbeke (not practical) but choices on bike or car are simply endless (it can get a bit confusing as there are so many viewing options).

  • The E3 race actually passes the Kokerelle B&B front door - so … go see it at the Holleweg cobbles then either linger around the village of Maarke Kerkem or head out towards Kluisbergen or Ronse.

  • Bike is better than a car. At the end go find a pub with a tv.

GENT WEVELGEM - 29+30 Mar

• Course - a weekend in two parts

  • Wevelgem Cyclosportive @ 29 Mar

    • The Wevelgem township is no tourist destination and certainly no oil painting (yes, it is very ordinary), but the cyclosportive is (within just two kilometres of the start) a stunning loop in the rural Flemish countryside.

    • Car parking is easy. The Menin Gate at Ieper is a highlight. At least the cyclosportive event starts in Wevelgem. A must do cyclosportive with great organisation.on virtually closed roads

  • Wevelgem Pro Classic @ 30 Mar

    • The race actually starts in Ieper and not in Gent (money does talk).

    • Ieper is some 50k from Gent. A big loop through rural west Flanders, plus heavy crosswinds in the exposed plains around Poperinge. Wevelgem looks better on the tv than in real life.

• Seeing the action

  • Gent Wevelgem in 2025 and a change in strategy with 6 or 7 vantage points - early one in a car but latter viewings by bike.

  • Accommodation is based at Westouter near the Kemmelberg climb.

  • Start is in Ieper, then a viewing at the village of Vlamertinge. After the start then its off to the village of Westouter for three viewings and a further two viewings at the Kemmelberg climb near the village of Kemmel.

DWARS VLAANDEREN - 3 Apr

• Course -

  • The big question is will Remco Evenpoel start in Dwars ?. Dwars Vlaanderen simply translates to Across Flanders

  • Another epic mid week semi Classic @ 200k - this time starting from the urban and concrete of Roeselare.

  • Roeselare is the home of the Koers Cycling Museum (a stunning celebration of the sport) & the home city of Jean Pierre Monsere (ex World Pro Road Champion but now RIP).

  • The usual rural loop into Flanders, around Oudenaarde, and the usual cobbled bergs used in the E3 & Ronde van Vlaanderen

  • The finish is in Waregem (was the home of the Australian cyclist Phil Anderson).

• Seeing the action

  • No going to the Roeselare start unless you want a local council parking ticket for your efforts and stare at ugly Flemish concrete (where are the trees ?).

  • Will go to the Holleweg cobbles near Maarke Kerkem, then a few other bergs nearby, then find a tv in a local pub and try another Duvel,. A great day out.

RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN - 5+6 Apr

• Course

  • RVV Cyclosporive @ 5 Apr

    • starting & finishing in Oudenaarde with 15,000 close personal friends.

    • A cyclosportive without peer over closed roads.

  • RVV Pro Classic @ 6 Apr

    • starting in Antwerp with the usual rural Flanders loop then the Berg Loop that is beyond description with multiple laps of Old Kwaremont, Patersberg and the finish at Oudenaarde. Magic.

• Seeing the action

  • Police road closures means the only way to catch the action is by bike. If it rains … tough, bring a rain jacket.

  • Watch the start from 9am on Flemish tv, get the lycra on and head to Melden pub and watch the action on the tv.

  • The Mens race goes through Melden then its off to a climb at Hotond, then its back towards the Old Kwaremont to watch the men (three times), back to the Koppenberg, and the women just once (coming off the Patersberg).

  • Go find a cafe to see the finish on tv.

PARIS ROUBAIX - 12+13 Apr

• Accommodation

  • BiciSport service course is in the village of Bachy, near the cobbled section of Cysoing (Zone 7) and Wannehein (Zone 6).

• Course

  • Roubaix Cyclosportive @ 12 Apr

    • start finish is from the old Roubaix Velodrome.

    • Compared to closed roads at the RVV cyclosportive the previous week, this French cyclosportive is mildly shambolic and potentially hazardous with french drivers.

    • Maybe 4,000 or 5,000 starters (mostly french) and forceful french car drivers are not your friend.

    • Iconic, yes you must do it, but caution is at every pedal stroke.

  • PR Classic @ 13 Apr

    • Compiegne start with cobbles starting at Troisville. Its epic. This year there is also the Under 19 and Under 23 versions of the same race just before the pro race arrives.

• Seeing the action

  • The Day in Hell - avoid Compiegne all together and stay within the numerous road closures around Bachy & Orchies and go to Cysoing for lunch and see either Zone 15, or Zone 7 cobbles at Cysoing or Zone 6 cobbles at Wannehein

    TOUR OF LIMBURG & BRABANT PIJL to be confirmed

Website : www.cyclingclassics.com.au

Accommodation : Mudgee Valley Park (Deluxe Villa) - to be confirmed

Riders : Grant, Dudley H, Alex S, MOR, Robbie B, John R, Craig P, Danny O’K

Contact : MOR on 0417 403 244