Local businesses in the Snowy Mountains will reap the tourism and economic benefits of a new Gran Fondo-style cycling event that has been secured for five years from 2022 by the NSW Government.
The Snowy Classic, delivered by Bicycling Australia (part of AdNews' parent company Yaffa Media), will be based out of Jindabyne and is the third NSW-based cycling event for the cycling media brand. The 2022 event is scheduled for 26 March.
Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro says the Snowy Mountains has become known as an iconic cycling destination so to have secured the Snowy Classic for a five-year period, was a massive coup for the region.
“The Snowy Classic will not only celebrate our world-class cycling experiences and incredible scenery, it will also provide a welcome boost to the local economy by attracting visitors to the region and supporting local businesses,” Barilaro says.
“The more events we can bring into the region, the closer we get to achieving our Snowy Mountains Precinct vision – which is to increase year-round tourism and solidify the Snowy Mountains as a must visit destination year round.”
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres says the Snowy Classic was expected to inject $4.16 million into the state’s economy across the five-year period.
“Kicking off in March 2022, this new cycling event will offer competitors a 160km and 110km ride while attracting thousands of visitors to one of Australia’s best outdoor adventure playgrounds,” Ayres says.
“NSW continues to show that it is head and shoulders above the rest – our State is not only hosting an array of events in a way that is COVID-safe, but we are continuing to secure premier events well beyond 2021.
“The NSW Government is showing no signs of slowing down because we know the importance of bringing tourism and events into our regions – they create jobs, drive investment into local communities and keep our economy thriving.”
Bicycling Australia, the nation’s leading cycling media and events platform, is thrilled to be adding the major new cycling event to the national calendar.
The Snowy Classic 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 reopen Jindabyne and the nation's iconic Snowy Mountains region to an annual influx of cyclists, contribute significantly to the year-round economy and bolster the tourism-dependent region.
Bicycling Australia publisher and founder of the Snowy Classic, James Yaffa says he was thrilled to have the support of the NSW Government, particularly as the region continues to gain popularity as an all-year round destination for recreational sports.
"This is particularly exciting as the Snowy region continues to be more and more popular as a year-round destination for recreational sports,” Yaffa says.
"The Snowy Mountains precinct is simply stunning and offers so much for road cyclists. This new event will be a fantastic addition to our family of Classics!”
With regional areas experiencing challenging times over several years now, Yaffa says the core objective was to deliver a fun and safe event while helping the Snowy region deliver much-needed tourism and ongoing brand marketing.
This five-year deal follows the momentum and support that the Cycling Classics have continued to gain from big brands including Volvo Car Australia and Deloitte.
Earlier in the year, it was announced that Bicycling Australia had inked a two-year partnership with Volvo Car Australia to become the national automotive partner for the Cycling Classics.
Find out more about each of the Cycling Classics here.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.