With 10 days to go before the first L’Etape Australia in Kiama, the event organisers have announced that they can now accept another 1,000 entries. If you’re keen, it’s still possible to join the ride…

 

 

What do Steve Waugh, Stuart O’Grady, Adam Goodes, Anna Meares, Mark Renshaw and Simon Gerrans all have in common beyond being famous Australian sport stars? They all love cycling.

 

They have all retired from competing at the highest level, but they still cherish the opportunity to ride their bikes.

 

What else do these famous Aussies have in common? They’ll all be riding from Kiama to Kiama via the NSW southern highlands in 10 days’ time as part of the enormous L’Etape Australia peloton.

Mark Renshaw will be one of the famous Australian sport stars riding L’Etape Australia, starting and finishing in Kiama, next weekend.

There is a range of routes, suitable for beginners and experienced cyclists alike. It’s a new course, the first of the L’Etape series in Australia to be conducted away from the Snowy Mountains, and the riding in the Shoalhaven and southern highlands is stunning.

 

With challenging terrain and glorious views, it’s always a great place to visit if you’re a bike rider. What will make it even better next weekend is the chance to do the L’Etape Ride (80km and 1,200m of elevation) or the L’Etape Race (136km and 2,700m of climbing) without the bother of traffic!

 

Oh yeah, and you may have a chance to chat with Steve, Stuey, Adam, Anna or Simon… or any number of the 3,000+ cyclists who are expected to roll away from Kiama.

 

* * * * *

Anna Meares may have stopped racing at the elite level but she’ll never stop riding her bike. Join her and a cast of thousands in Kiama next weekend.

 

The original event in Kiama due to be held late in 2020 was postponed. You know why. Since the rescheduled date was announced, entries have been filtering in but it’s understandable if you have hesitated, even if you really want to do the ride.

 

There have been so many event cancellations because of the pandemic that it’s logical to wait as long as possible before committing. Who wants to enter something that will later be postponed or called off? Not me, and probably not you.

 

There is still a level of uncertainty in 2021, but L’Etape Australia is confident that the ride next weekend will go ahead – and possibly even boast the largest ‘peloton’ for this Australian event with a strong French influence.

 

News of the additional allocation of 1,000 entries was confirmed earlier today and all necessary steps are in place to ensure it’s a COVID-safe ride.

 

“Lateral Events, organisers of L’Étape Australia by Tour de France, have developed a comprehensive Covid-safe plan to ensure the event is safe for the riders, the staff and the local community,” says the release.

 

“The Covid-safe plan features key measures such as the physical separation of The Race (3,000 participants) and The Ride (1,000 participants) at the start and skin-temperature checks carried out at the start access points.”

L’Etape Australia has links with the Tour de France… and there’ll be a couple of former yellow jersey wearers in the peloton of the 2021 event in Kiama, including this bloke, Stuart O’Grady… a master storyteller and ambassador for Mummu Cycling.

If you haven’t registered, there’s still time and places available. Jump online, click through to your preferred option, and get ready to ride. Or Race. Or chat with a former Australian cricket captain or an AFL player who now gets his exercise off the field and on a bike.

I’ve been enjoying my cycling lately and I’m looking forward to seeing if my fitness is on par with Steve or Adam or Stuey or Anna.

 

 

– By Rob Arnold

 


– Want to know what Steve Waugh loves about cycling? Click the link below. –