B2B organisers have made a number of tweaks to the 2017 event to cater for an expected surge in entry numbers after the race was accepted as a qualifying round of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.
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The main change is that the start of the race will be on Blayney’s Adelaide Street at Heritage Park rather than in the shopping centre, giving riders a few blocks to warm up and allowing traffic to be diverted down Carcoar Street.
But one thing that isn’t changing is major sponsor NAB’s commitment to the race.
Senior business banking manager Tim Brown said the bank had been behind the race since it began 11 years ago.
“It’s a credit to the organisers that the race has grown from where it was a few years back, to where it is now,” he said.
Blayney mayor Scott Ferguson said that the race showcases the talents of the local community and the benefits of collaborating with other councils.
“There’s a real knock-on effect for Blayney from Bathurst Regional Council’s plans to develop the visitor economy and build excellent sporting facilities,” he said.
The new starting line is part of what Bathurst mayor Gary Rush said is a determination to deliver an outstanding race for the participants, and the Union Cycliste International (UCI).
“We have this opportunity to be a qualifying round of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships on an ongoing basis if we can successfully fulfill our contractual obligations to them,” he said.