FNQ Tour rides high

Event elevated early to National Road Series

THE early elevation of the Tour of the Tropics to full National Road Series status will further showcase the Far North as one of Queensland’s premier sports tourism destinations.

As Cairns comes alive for the Ironman weekend, arguably the biggest sports event on Far North Queensland’s sports calendar, Tour of the Tropics organisers are looking forward to their own time to shine.

The Tour, which returned after a lengthy lay-off last year, will take place on the Tableland from August 2 to 4.

The first day is a kermesse race in Millaa Millaa, with days two and three in Lake Eacham and Yungaburra, with about 300 professional and amateur cyclists expected to ride on the spectator-friendly courses.

While the multi-stage race is now part of the national series, race director Damian Ingram said organisers made a concerted effort to ensure the event was accessible to amateur cyclists from not only across the state, but in FNQ.

“This will enable riders to have the chance to participate at an event like it is in our backyard,” Ingram said.

“It’s imperative we look after the local riders.

“We were aiming for the NRS in about three years but Cycling Australia got in touch and asked if we could do it (for this year).”

Ingram and his fellow organisers are no strangers to multi-stage races, and over the past two years have travelled across the country to compete at various races.

Those experiences give Ingram a basic outline of what to expect and a user experience, and allows his team to understand what may work at the Tour of the Tropics.

“We’ve witnessed the logistics and what goes into it so we’ve got a good idea of what to do,” Ingram said.