Merriwa prepares for Le Tour
BY ALEX TIGANI
Cyclists from across NSW will make their way to Merriwa this Sunday.
A predicted 200 participants are expected to participate in the third edition of Le Tour De Merriwa after it attracted groups of 150-160 in the previous two editions.
“Our first edition was right before the first covid-19 outbreak in 2020, if it was a week later we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” event organiser Robert Smith explained.
“Nicky Western from the Scone Triathlon Club was looking for a way to increase sports participation and to celebrate the road to Willow Tree being open that first year.
“Because so many events were being cancelled because of drought, we wanted something to do to engage the community and something to look forward to and maybe attract a few tourists.”
This Sunday’s ride will commence at 8am from the Tourist Information Centre.
Participants can choose between a 40km or 80km ride with refreshments provided along the way.
“One of the nice things about the event is that there is very little traffic so you don’t have to compete with much traffic,” he added.