Herald Sun Tour / Amy's Ride

[Saladin sucks]

I thought this was worth a new thread. I'm not sure on protocols, so apologies if I should have put it some where else.

Herald Sun Tour starts next week in Victoria - the quality of riders is much better than I expected with OGE plus a few TDU riders still in Oz competing.
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Herald_Sun_Tour_2014-Startlist
Although Herald haven't done much to promote it yet.

I'm thinking of going to a few stages. Nagambie (because its close) and Arthurs Seat look the best options as they are on the weekend. If I was in Melbourne - sitting in a bar having a few beers watching the evening prologue time trial riders zip past would be pretty good I reckon.

Also on Sunday 9th is Amy's Ride on some of same course as last stage - including climb up Arthurs Seat. Although Herald Stage doesn't start till 2:30 so most of community riders should be out of the way by then.

So I'm thinkin' - Do Amy's ride in morning and then get a spot on Arthurs Seat climb for HS4 in arvo. They do the climb 3 times at end of stage, with finish on top I think. I think the easiest way to get up to a viewing spot will be on bike - as won't have to worry about road closures. There is supposed to be shuttle bus for Amy's Ride folk to "Amy's corner" on the climb, but unlikely to take bikes, so users would be reliant on bus to come down or move around.

Anyone else likely to be involved in this? Know where Amy's corner is? Know how easy / hard it will be to move around by bike on Arthurs Seat climb?

Any advice gratefully accepted.

 

[grouse mate]

Am doing the AGF ride, not sure if I'll be staying for the race though. Can't see on any of the emails where Amy's Corner will be, normally Rapha or somebody like that have a corner as well, those lookout carparks aren't very big so could be a bit of jostling for best positions in there. The race stage starts on the top of Arthurs as well, unless there is a screen with a live feed it could be a boring day.

 

[Saladin sucks]

Am doing the AGF ride, not sure if I'll be staying for the race though. Can't see on any of the emails where Amy's Corner will be, normally Rapha or somebody like that have a corner as well, those lookout carparks aren't very big so could be a bit of jostling for best positions in there. The race stage starts on the top of Arthurs as well, unless there is a screen with a live feed it could be a boring day.

I called AGF yesterday and got a bit more information. Amy's Corner is the middle lookout of 3 lookouts. Arthurs Seat road is open till about 4pm, and that is around when I reckon the first climb will be. So agree - taking the AGF shuttle bus up the climb for lunch seems too early. Also why I want to take my bike, so I can leave under my own power.

 

[Freakie]

Am doing the AGF ride, not sure if I'll be staying for the race though. Can't see on any of the emails where Amy's Corner will be, normally Rapha or somebody like that have a corner as well, those lookout carparks aren't very big so could be a bit of jostling for best positions in there. The race stage starts on the top of Arthurs as well, unless there is a screen with a live feed it could be a boring day.

Not a boring day at all, I was about half way up the hill last year and had a ball. The laps aren't to big once they go up the first time.

 

[grouse mate]

Not a boring day at all, I was about half way up the hill last year and had a ball. The laps aren't to big once they go up the first time.

Its just a bit of a gap between the AGF ride finishing and when the race gets back to Arthurs.

 

[phantom13]

I'm going to check out the prologue tomorrow, starts in Birrarunng Marr and finishes in Queensbridge, any idea on what would be a good/great vantage point?

 

[grouse mate]

No idea. Its a weird course and i'm skeptical of how much of a success it will be. A combination of footpaths and bike lanes for a race, as a rider wouldn't fill me with confidence.

Just saw about 4 or 5 teams on Beach Rd a couple of hours ago. Cannondale were absolutely smashing it from Black Rock towards Mordi.


SBS2 are doing a daily highlights show for anyone interested.

Broadcast details:

Wednesday 5 February
10:45pm SBS2 Jayco Herald Sun Tour Prologue Highlights

Thursday 6 February
10:55pm SBS2 Jayco Herald Sun Tour Stage 1 Highlights

Friday 7 February
10:55pm SBS2 Jayco Herald Sun Tour Stage 2 Highlights

Saturday 8 February
11:15pm SBS2 Jayco Herald Sun Tour Stage 3 Highlights

Sunday 9 February
10:30pm SBS2 Jayco Herald Sun Tour Stage 4 Highlights

 

[Saladin sucks]

Thanks that's better coverage than SBS did of tracknats - i.e. at least it's same day.

Would be good to see something from Cannondale in this. They were MIA in TDU. Hope they let Mohoric off the domestique leash at some stage to see what he can do.

Also for any radio buffs out there - does anyone know anything about Race Radio, i.e. band and range of frequencies they use.

I was in a pub in Angaston for stage 1 TDU, guy beside me was picking RR up on a walkie talkie his tour group gave him. It is on open network and not encrypted (a commissionaire confirmed this to me), you just need to know where to look. Being able to hear RR makes a big diff when you're out on the course, as often that is what journos are using for their broadcast anyway.

 

[grouse mate]

Simon Clarke wins on a technicality . After doing Amy's Ride in the morning, was somehow able to get through the turn off point before the long route was cancelled, was looking forward to see what happened in this stage. Probably the strongest winds I've ever ridden in, would of needed some brave men to be in a breakaway, anything could of happened today if the stage went ahead.

 

[Saladin sucks]

Simon Clarke wins on a technicality . After doing Amy's Ride in the morning, was somehow able to get through the turn off point before the long route was cancelled, was looking forward to see what happened in this stage. Probably the strongest winds I've ever ridden in, would of needed some brave men to be in a breakaway, anything could of happened today if the stage went ahead.

So did you end up doing the whole 100k for the long route without finding out it had been curtailed?

Disappointing that stage 4 was cancelled, it was set up the be very interesting stage. But happy to see Clarkey win something after doing lots of support riding for Gerro.

 

[grouse mate]

So did you end up doing the whole 100k for the long route without finding out it had been curtailed?

Disappointing that stage 4 was cancelled, it was set up the be very interesting stage. But happy to see Clarkey win something after doing lots of support riding for Gerro.

Yeah it was cancelled mid ride not exactly sure when but there must of been a few that were already past the turn off point before then. They ran out of water at the 40k rest break just as I was leaving there so I figure it must of been not long after that. There was about 4 of us riding together at the turn off and the guy waved us through for the 100k route, wasn't until we got to the 70k stop the woman there was packing up as it had been cancelled. Whole ride was a bit of a fiasco.