Bike race gear change

By Tania Martin
THE Dandenong Ranges has been overlooked this year as a contender for the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, but organisers say that it may return to the Hills in the future.
Last year, the tour passed through Monbulk, up through Olinda to Sky High in Mt Dandenong.
The Jayco Herald Sun Tour is Australia’s oldest stage road race, and is a rolling festival of community events across the State.
However, this year the tour will only pass along the edge of the Shire of Yarra Ranges as it travels from Benalla to Lake Mountain before heading to Kew.
A Shire of Yarra Ranges spokesman said it is the prerogative of the organisers to choose which route they wish for their event.
Spokesman David Ashton said the organisers had not approached the council about the tour but if approached the shire would be more than willing to discuss any issues regarding the tour.
However, Jayco Herald Sun Tour media director David Cuber said the course changes every year.
“We are sharing it around. Part of the mandate for the event, and for how we are funded to run the event is that the tour route changes,” he said.
Mr Cuber said every year there are similar themes for the tour but that the course has to be different every year.
“Events held in the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley last year were fantastic and we hope to be back in the future,” he said.
The tour last year passed through the Dandenong Ranges as part of the sixth leg of the tour, and travelled from Monbulk up to the picturesque Sky High at Mt Dandenong.
And despite traders voicing their displeasure over the closure of the main street in Monbulk, the town’s improvement committee said it was disappointing the tour would not pass through the town again this year.
Mark Seamer, from Monbulk’s township group Mad Cow, said that following the tour last year, there was a lot of trader backlash over the way the tour was organised, with many saying that not enough notification was given to residents and traders over the street closure.
Mr Seamer said despite the concerns raised by traders last year, he felt that anything that brings awareness or visitors to Monbulk was good for the town.
He said although it was disappointing that the tour was not passing through Monbulk this year, it was not the end of the world.
“We have more planned for the town. There are bigger and better plans for Monbulk in the pipework, including the community centre project and the streetscaping of the township in the next year or two,” he said.
Sky High manager Shaun Robertson said it was disappointing that Sky High has missed out this year, but he understood that it had to be moved around to different locations to promote tourism in Victoria.