Darwin’s roads will turn into a sea of Lycra this weekend as close to 700 cyclists take part in the annual Top End Gran Fondo endurance cycling event on Sunday 19 August.
The Top End Gran Fondo is the largest cycling event in the Northern Territory catering to all cycling levels, from elite long distance to short fun rides, and include 150km, 75km, 25km and 3km courses. The course highlights take in the stunning Darwin Waterfront, City, Esplanade, Stuart Highway, Territory Wildlife Park, the Darwin River region and Tiger Brennan Drive.
Department of Tourism and Culture Senior Director Sport and Active Recreation, Ian Ford, said he was looking forward to the event and encouraged Territorians of all abilities to take part in the NT’s only endurance cycling event.
“Territorians love cycling and the Top End Gran Fondo is a fantastic way to take part in our very own style endurance cycling event while taking in and enjoying our unique NT landscapes,” said Mr Ford.
“The Northern Territory Government is committed to supporting key community events such as these, which encourage accessibility and participation in sports, and we’re proud to have provided the Top End Gran Fondo with $20,000 in funding to ensure the return of this year’s event.
“The main purpose of the event is participation. Some cyclists riding for the satisfaction and pride in finishing, while others want to improve on their previous times and challenge themselves, and while it isn’t a race, some also ride for the thrill of coming first. The event has categories available for all cycling levels, from elite long distance cyclists to beginners and children looking for a fun day out taking in the sights of Darwin.”
Top End Gran Fondo Event Manager, Richard Welsh, said this year the endurance cycle is set to welcome a record number of interstate participants.
“Darwin at this time of year is one of the best places to cycle in Australia. The roads are smooth and flat, the weather is perfect and all this culminates to becoming a wonderful drawcard for cyclists across the country,” said Mr Welsh.
“This year we extended the Full Fondo ride from 120km to 150km to appeal to the serious cyclists, while we added a 25km Fun Fondo for the other end of the spectrum."
All courses of the Top End Gran Fondo start and finish at the Darwin Waterfront. The categories include the:
Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo (150km) starting at 6:30am
Darwin Family Law Half Fondo (75km) starting at 7:00am
About the City of Darwin Fun Fondo (25km) starting at 7:30am
NTRS Mini Fondo (3km) starting at 8:00am
To register for the Top End Gran Fondo, or for more information, visit https://www.topendgrandfondo.com.au/.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Department of Tourism and Culture Media Officer 0447 130 495
