Peloton Cafe || 2015 Tour of the King Valley

Peloton Cafe || 2015 Tour of the King Valley (image copyright Con Chronis)

The battle in the men’s Subaru National Road Series (NRS) resumed last weekend and this weekend the women roar back to action at the Sam Miranda Tour of the King Valley in Wangaratta.

In its third year, the Tour comprises four stages across three days and has expanded in 2015 to feature a men’s NRS Tour.

It begins with an individual time trial on Friday morning, followed by a new CBD criterium circuit which is expected to inject millions into the local Wangaratta economy.  Saturday features a 111.6km road race while Sunday’s fourth and final 85km stage takes in Taminick Gap and historic Victorian towns such as Wangaratta and Glenrowan.  Read Stage by Stage preview

banner300x120 (1)

The women’s field will see a battle between a number of the country’s best including current NRS leader Ruth Corset (QLD) and teammate Bridie O’Donnell (VIC), local favourite Taryn Heather (VIC), 2015 team pursuit world champion Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW) and defending Tour champion Rebecca Wiasak (ACT).

“I had a dream tour at King Valley last year, winning three stages and the overall. We also won the team classification so you couldn’t really top that,” said Wiasak, the reigning 2015 individual pursuit world champion.  Wiasak will be joined on the High5 Team by guest rider Lauren Perry (TAS), herself a former junior world champion on the velodrome.

“This year I’ll be joining my High5 Dream Team teammates who had a lot of success at the last NRS event at Battle on the Border. I missed that one due to track commitments, so am looking forward to getting back on the road and mixing things up.

“My focus has been on the track so I am really looking forward to the shorter time trial as it’s closer to the pursuit distance. I know we will have a strong and motivated team with a lot of options.”

Bicycle Superstore rider Taryn Heather is well acclimatised and is excited about her home race.

“I am looking forward to the race unfolding on the dirt sections of the road race on day two. I have done a fair bit of course recon and the final dirt section should be a decisive moment in the race,” said Heather.

“It’s the first NRS race I have been able to do so close to where I grew up and where I now live. It will be great to have family and friends there to cheer the Bicycle Superstore team and I on!”

2014 World Championship time trial bronze medallists Anna-Leeza Hull (NSW), the reigning under 19 Oceania and Australian champion will also line up ahead of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in the USA next month.

In the men’s event, watch for the Team tussles.  NRS standings leader and newly signed Cannondale-Garmin team member Patrick Bevin (NZL) will once again lead Avanti-Racing which took three stages, the General Classification, and cut Charter Mason Giant’s lead in the NRS Teams Aggregate competition to just two points after the Tour of the Great South Coast.

What to watch for at King Valley

TOUR INFO

  • Stage 1: Dal Zotto Wines ITT (Whitfield) Friday, August 21, 2015 09:00am
  • Stage 2: Rural City of Wangaratta Criterium Friday, August 21, 2015 14.00pm
  • Stage 3: Strade Nero Circuit (Sam Miranda King Valley) Saturday, August 22, 2015 08.00am
  • Stage 4: Ryans & Taminick Gap Loop Sunday, August 23, 2015 12.30pm

Text via Cycling Australia Media Release