Queens Royal Tour - 3 Days in Seymour

Well the Queens Birthday weekend was an opportunity to get in some solid cycling during June. Ride organiser Stephen Rowlands devised 3 great 200 km loops each with different characteristics, the one common denominator was that they were not without some solid climbing.

Stephen is unable to ride at the moment so Carol and I took on the role of getting the rides started each morning from the rotunda. The traditional starting point of rides out of Seymour. Conditions over the weekend were generally cool with periods of sunshine and the winds were rarely ever more than moderate

Stage 1

This ride had 17 starters and for me it ranked as the hardest. The ride started at 8am and travelled up to Broadford and then headed to Strath Creek for the first control. It then turned and headed up to Kinglake West before again turning to the lunch time control at Kinglake. Then north along the Melba Highway to Glenburn before turning into Break O'Day Road which then turns on to the Junction Hill climb. Once this is  negotiated you then sweep down towards Yea for the third control of the day. Soon after Yea you turn into the Ghin Ghin Rd and have a very tough long climb to Highlands before you can set your sights on the finish. For me the finish was just after dark at around 5:40pm.

Stage 2

There were 14 starters that set off on the second day. I considered Day 2 the easiest of the three rides. This was largely due to the fact that most of the climbing was undertaken in the early part of the ride. This ride headed across to Pyalong before heading over the hills to Lancefield for the first stop of the day. From there the ride headed along the Burke and Wills Track for some more elevation gain. Once the high point of the ride was achieved it was pretty much downhill and a tailwind to Mia Mia. After that it was undulations to Heathcote and the lunchtime stop. I spent a few minutes chatting to Carol who had stopped in town also. Then it was a nice flat run to Nagambie where I could make some good speed. Fraser Rowe hooked up with me on the last leg back to Seymour. We pushed on solidly into a head breeze and reached the finish in daylight this time, at a few minutes after 5pm.

Stage 3

It was a chilly start with 5 official  riders only on the third day. This ride climbed all the way to Wandong before heading down and across to Wallan. Then it was a very tough trip across to Woodend into a pretty cold breeze and some tough grinding hills along the way as well. Then back tthrough Lancefield and the climb up to Kilmore for the third checkpoint. From there it was pretty much downhill to Broadford and Seymour with a fading tailwind. This time I finished at around 5:20pm


All in all the weekend was great fun. Thanks Stephen Rowlands for organising the rides. Thanks Carol for helping at the start each day. Congratulations to Ian George and Steve Atkins who joined me in completeing all three rides. Well done to all the other riders.

Ian George, yours truely and Steve Atkins