Road cyclists will be looking forward to the new Snowy Classic event with registrations opening today for the March 2022 event.
The Snowy Classic is run by Bicycling Australia with support from the NSW Government through Destination NSW. The new event will be the organisation’s fifth Gran Fondo after the Bowral, Noosa, Mudgee and Clare Classics, and is expected to quickly position itself as 'Queen of the Classics.'
The event will inspire an influx of cyclists to Jindabyne and the nation's iconic Snowy Mountains region, who will contribute significantly to the year-round economy and bolster the tourism-dependent region.
Registrations are now open for the debut on 26 March 2022. The Snowy Classic will offer riders the opportunity to tackle true alpine climbs and European-style cycling right here in Australia. With two options - 170km or 110km courses - on fully closed roads, and with participant safety the number one priority, it will be the cycling experience of the year.
As the Snowy Mountains looks to come out of regional lockdown, tourism will be a huge driver in the economy’s recovery, and events such as the Snowy Classic will be welcomed.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government was proud to support the Snowy Classic from 2022 until 2026, with the event expected to inject $4.16 million into the State’s economy across the five-year period.
“We know the regional visitor economy is critically important to the wellbeing of NSW, which is why the NSW Government is supporting the Snowy Classic over five years to build a strong following and make it an annual must-attend event for cyclists and their families and friends,” Mr Ayres said.
“This will help the local visitor economy to grow and push us toward our target in the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 for regional overnight visitor expenditure to reach $25 billion.
“Visitors will be blown away by the stunning scenery and excellent tourism and hospitality offerings of the region – register now and start planning your itinerary through VisitNSW.com.”
Founder of the Snowy Classic and Classic Series events, James Yaffa, added “We are excited to see the popular Gran Fondo format expand and being part of this region was a long held ambition for our series of events.”
“The Snowy Mountains precinct is simply stunning and offers so much for road cyclists. We are super excited to officially be launching the inaugural Snowy Classic.”
With regional areas experiencing challenging times over several years now, Mr Yaffa said the core objective was to deliver a fun and safe event while helping the Snowy region deliver much-needed tourism and ongoing brand marketing.
The organisers visited the area earlier this year to create their own video promotion which will be sent to their cycling database. The event is expected to attract over 1500 riders in its first year, and combined with families and their entourage will see about 3000 people visit for the event.
Early Bird registrations for the inaugural Snowy Classic are now open, head to www.snowyclassic.com.au to register.
The Snowy Classic debuts on March 26, 2022 and will be operate on closed roads.
