Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Festival

Jacinta ERMACORA (Western Victoria) (09:47): Glorious weather in Warrnambool last weekend heralded the Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Festival. This includes the second-oldest one-day cycling event in the world and the recently introduced women’s classic. I thank Steve Dimopoulos as Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events for the tremendous support for this event. I am proud of the Allan Labor government’s commitment to women’s inclusion and the richness this is adding to the event, with more families coming to Warrnambool and enjoying the whole weekend. I acknowledge the road race committee and Shane Wilson for their hard work and especially for including the women’s race.

Congratulations to Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old veteran – it is very sad when a 36-year-old is referred to as a veteran – for taking the win for the first time. Lucie Stewart took out the women’s win after recovering from injury. She also took out the best young rider at 19 years of age.

I also acknowledge Team Royal Bikes, a new Warrnambool-based national road series team, which started in its inaugural race this year. The first Warrnambool rider over the line was Jack Aitken from that team. I think the formation of that team in Warrnambool is a great example of a spin-off from state government funding that supports the race.