Healesville, Marysville gear up for bike tour

By Kath Gannaway
TRADERS and community groups in Healesville and Marysville have put together a program of events to ensure a great welcome for the Jayco Herald Sun Bike Tour this week.
The tour, which started on Sunday at Williamstown, will arrive in Marysville tomorrow (Wednesday) after a 173kilometre road race which includes a King of the Mountain event on Skyline Road, Eildon.
On Thursday all the action is in and around the Yarra Valley.
Part of Healesville’s main street will be closed from 7.30am with the Grand Fondo event starting at 8.30am and giving anywhere from 300 to 1000 riders a chance to be part of the tour.
The 140.9kilometre Yarra Valley stage, incorporating sprints and King of the Mountain events, will start in front of the Healesville Hotel at 10.30am and will finish back in Healesville about 2.30pm.
The route will take in Launching Place, Woori Yallock, Seville East, Gruyere, Coldstream, Yering, Yarra Glen, Dixons Creek, through the Toolangi State Forest and include the Myers Creek/Chum Creek roads loop.
Healesville Chamber of Commerce has organised the involvement of local traders and community groups with street stalls, local schools have been invited to get involved and VicHealth will be hosting activities between race events.
Mail newspapers and Bayswater Cycles will give spectators the chance to win a fantastic mountain bike.
In Marysville a community festival will take place between noon and 3pm with activities including bike safety and registration with Marysville Police, local sculptor Bruno Torf will create a bikethemed sculpture, there will be community bike events for all ages and other activities.
Shops and restaurants will remain open until 9pm.
Healesville Chamber of Commerce president, Gary Slater said the tour was an opportunity for everyone in the community to get involved in a spectacular event, and, with extensive media covering the race, to showcase Healesville, the Yarra Valley and the region to a huge audience.
For more information on the event visit www.heraldsuntour.com.au
For Healesville activities contact Gary Slater on 5962 6333 and for Marysville the Marysville Information Centre on 5963 4567.