In what is being billed as a stage conclusion that will be evocative of the Paris-Roubaix Classic, next January’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour will feature the first velodrome finish in 57 years.
The organisers have announced the plan to emulate the finish of the Northern Classic, meaning that the crowd in the outdoor velodrome will see the riders fight it out for the stage honours and race lead on a banked track.
The finish in question will come one day after a 4.7 kilometre prologue time trial in Williamstown on Thursday January 3rd. The first road stage will begin at Sunbury’s Rupertswood Mansion the morning after the time trial and cover 148 kilometres en route to Bendigo. There, the riders will race into the Tom Flood Sports Centre velodrome and complete a lap and a half tussle to the line.
The last time the race had a similar finish was during the 1957 edition, when the riders raced into Brenock Park in Ferntree Gully on the final stage. That was also the same conclusion of the first-ever edition of the Sun Tour, which took place in 1952.
The race did have another type of track finish in 1975, although on that occasion the riders chased the win on the Calder motor-racing track rather than a velodrome. On that occasion three time race winner John Trevorrow was first to the line, proving quickest despite confusing the distance left to the finish and also sprinting a lap too early.
The 2013 edition of the race comes after the event moved from its traditional autumn timeslot to January. It will take place before the national championship and the Santos Tour Down Under, although hopes to entice big names to take part have been frustrated for 2013 as the UCI did not give it world-ranking status.
The Jayco Herald Sun Tour will begin with that time trial in Williamstown and also take in regional centres Sunbury, Bendigo, Michelton Winery and Healesville. The final stage will bring the riders to the top of the Arthurs Seat climb on the Mornington Peninsula, where the overall classification will be settled.
Nathan Haas won last year’s race and went on to a WorldTour contract with Garmin-Sharp.