With the Tour de France kicking off soon, results from last year’s L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France confirm the event delivered significant visitation to the Snowy Mountains, with the 2017 event expected to once again attract thousands of visitors to the area.
22 June 2017Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro said L’Étape Australia offered a unique opportunity to bring a global event to regional NSW.
“L’Étape Australia provides an experience as close to riding in the Tour de France as it is possible for an amateur cyclist to get,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Competitors will race through some of the most stunning mountain terrain in the country, making the Snowy Mountains the perfect location to welcome the world’s most iconic cycling brand.”
Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the event, secured for the Snowy Mountains region by the NSW Government provides a significant boost to the local visitor economy.
“The inaugural L’Étape Australia in 2016 saw more than 5,000 international and interstate visitors come to the region, boosting the local visitor economy by more than $1.7 million,” Mr Marshall said.
“Not only do events like L’Étape Australia provide valuable support to local communities within regional NSW, but it helps the NSW Government achieve its goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”
Chris Froome, who will attempt to add a fourth yellow jersey to his collection when the Tour de France begins in Dusseldorf on 1 July, will return to the Snowy Mountains in December for the second straight year, riding alongside thousands of amateur cyclists on the 157km course.
L’Étape Australia is part of a growing calendar of major events in the Snowy Mountains, with Peak Festival Perisher (9 – 12 June), Snowtunes Music Festival (1-2 September) and race five of the TreX Cross Triathlon Series (24 - 25 February, 2018) also driving visitors to the region.
L’Etape Australia 2017 will be held on 2 December and early bird registrations are now open at www.letapeaustralia.com, with riders able to enter as individuals, teams of nine or larger groups.
ENDS
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