The 2018 annual Lake Hume Cycle Challenge has a new home south of the Murray after its committee decided the event was expanding too rapidly and getting too pricey for its Albury base.
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Now in its 18th year, organisers announced via Facebook in the race would now start and finish at the Wodonga Racecourse.
“Due to a significant increase in traffic management fees in NSW, the event organisers have made the decision to move the event to Wodonga on the Victorian side of the mighty Murray River,” they said.
Committee chair Ian Moffat said the decision had nothing to do with any council laws, but was just a matter of course for the increasingly popular event.
“Basically the event is expanding and we looked at quite a few different avenues and felty the riverside down by Noreiul Park was getting a bit congested,” he said.
“We decided on the racecourse because it has a lot of infrastructure in place and it suited our needs.”
Mr Moffat said while money and fees were factors in the decision, it wasn’t the sole reason behind the move.
He said in some places they had saved money by moving and in others it may have cost them, but they were happy with their new home.
“We’ve already proven our quantity is going to increase and we thought if we kept holding it in Albury we may have to put in a limit or ceiling on entries and we don’t want to do that, at least not yet,” he said.
Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie welcomed the move, and has signed up for the 44 kilometre Weir Wonder ride.
“Wodonga is thrilled to be hosting the start and finish of the Lake Hume Cycle Challenge for the first time in 2018,” she said.
“This is a fabulous event which this year attracted almost 900 riders from all over the country, and strengthens our region’s status as a premier cycling destination.”
Albury City deputy mayor and doctor Amanda Cohn and Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie joined the Rotary Club of Bellbridge Lake Hume and Trust representatives at the official launch of the 2018 event.
Over the past five years the charity event has raised more than $100,000 for the cancer centre, with 100 per cent of money given to the Trust staying in the region.
The cycle challenge in 2018 will include three road ride of 36km, 74km and 118km, with shorter rides ranging from 2km to 25km.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
