How the Tour of the Tropics could go ahead in 2020
Tour of the Tropics organisers are determined to pedal forward with a race in 2020 despite the coronavirus throwing a spoke in the wheel of one of the region’s largest cycling events.
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Tour of the Tropics organisers are determined to pedal forward with a race in 2020 despite the coronavirus throwing a spoke in the wheel of one of the region’s largest cycling events.
The annual three-day, five-stage race across Cairns and the Tablelands was scheduled to take place from July 31-August 2, but organisers earlier this week announced the event had been cancelled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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But, while organisers cancelled this year’s public event, they are not eliminating the race entirely just yet.
“Plans are afoot with organisers and peak cycling bodies to create a virtual race so riders can still showcase their cycling prowess and keep the momentum up as they wait in anticipation to hit the track again,” said Tour of the Tropics co-founder and race director Damien Ingram.
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“Social isolation, working from home and training in our ‘fitness dungeon’ are becoming more of the new norm,” he said.
“With the support from our state and national cycling bodies, we are currently looking into opportunities to carry out a virtual event.”
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The Tour of the Tropics was initially formed through Ingram and co-founder Andy Taylor’s desire to provide an event that brought all levels of cycling together, while also displaying the best that Australia has to offer to the region.
Following the success of the inaugural event in 2018, the Tour of the Tropics made its Cycling Australia National Road Series debut when it opened last year’s Tours season.
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“Each year we look to step up the event to be the pinnacle of domestic racing,” Ingram said.
“This is still our driver and it will take more than the current environment to resist this drive and passion.”
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Ingram said he was looking forward to “rekindling the community spirit” in the future, following the coronavirus crisis.
“If our current behaviours prove fruitful and restrictions are lifted, a social ride like no other would certainly be on the cards,” he said.
Originally published as How the Tour of the Tropics could go ahead in 2020