Herald Sun Tour
Encyclopedia
The Herald Sun Tour is an Australia
n professional bicycle race held in Melbourne
and provincial Victoria
sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale
(UCI). The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six day event and it is held annually in October. It is named after the Herald Sun
, Melbourne's only daily tabloid newspaper. It was originally known as the Sun Tour after The Sun News-Pictorial
, and changed its name when the Sun merged with The Herald
in 1990.
sheep farmer, in a time of 42hr 57min 55sec. The first King of the Mountain and Sprint champion was Jack (John) McDonough from Coburg
.
Australian cyclists dominated the first 30 editions of the race, before its status rose and began attacting overseas stars. By the year 2000 the race had shifted to October and Australia's cyclists racing in Europe began to compete in the race. The resulting rise in the event's standard saw the race become rated by the UCI
for the first time in 2005.
Several notable Australian cyclists have won the General classification including Stuart O'Grady
in 2008, Baden Cooke
in 2002, Neil Stephens
in 1986, and Russell Mockridge
in 1957.
The 2004 race was conducted from 14 to 24 October 2004 and involved 85 cyclists in seventeen teams of five. Thirteen stages were completed with a total distance of 1110.7 km, 119 intermediate sprints and 37 hill climbs, including the two category one climbs of Mount Baw Baw
and in the Otway Ranges
. Swedish rider Jonas Ljungblad won the General classification in the time of 26hr 39min 55sec. Karl Menzies won the sprint classification and Phillip Thuaux won the Mountains classification.
After the 2009 race, the organisers of the Herald Sun Tour proposed moving the race from its traditional October date to February, with no edition in 2010. Cycling Australia approved the move, but in the face of opposition from the UCI the plans never came to fruition. In the end the 2010 race was "held over" due to the 2010 UCI Road World Championships
being held in Geelong and Melbourne
, and the race returned to the calendar in October 2011.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional bicycle race held in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and provincial Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI). The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six day event and it is held annually in October. It is named after the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
, Melbourne's only daily tabloid newspaper. It was originally known as the Sun Tour after The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
, and changed its name when the Sun merged with The Herald
The Herald (Melbourne)
The Herald was a broadsheet newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia from 1840 to 1990.The Port Phillip Herald was first published as a semi-weekly newspaper on 3 January 1840 from a weatherboard shack in Collins Street. It was the fourth newspaper to start in Melbourne.The paper took its name...
in 1990.
History
The first general classification winner was Keith Rowley, a MaffraMaffra, Victoria
Maffra is a town in Victoria, Australia, 220 km east of Melbourne. It is in the Shire of Wellington local government area. It relies mainly on dairy farming and other agriculture, and is the site of one of Murray-Goulburn Cooperative's eight processing plants in Victoria...
sheep farmer, in a time of 42hr 57min 55sec. The first King of the Mountain and Sprint champion was Jack (John) McDonough from Coburg
Coburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
.
Australian cyclists dominated the first 30 editions of the race, before its status rose and began attacting overseas stars. By the year 2000 the race had shifted to October and Australia's cyclists racing in Europe began to compete in the race. The resulting rise in the event's standard saw the race become rated by the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
for the first time in 2005.
Several notable Australian cyclists have won the General classification including Stuart O'Grady
Stuart O'Grady
Stuart O'Grady OAM , nicknamed Stuey, is an Australian professional road bicycle racer on UCI ProTeam , who started as a track cyclist. He and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in Men's Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics...
in 2008, Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria....
in 2002, Neil Stephens
Neil Stephens
Neil Stephens is an Australian former road bicycle racer. He is a Tour de France stage winner and is a one of only 25 riders and the only Australian to have completed the three Grand Tours in a calendar year. He was involved in the Festina doping scandal in 1998 Tour de France...
in 1986, and Russell Mockridge
Russell Mockridge
Russell Mockridge was a racing cyclist from Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He died during a race, in collision with a bus....
in 1957.
The 2004 race was conducted from 14 to 24 October 2004 and involved 85 cyclists in seventeen teams of five. Thirteen stages were completed with a total distance of 1110.7 km, 119 intermediate sprints and 37 hill climbs, including the two category one climbs of Mount Baw Baw
Mount Baw Baw
Mount Baw Baw is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort is an Unincorporated area of Victoria surrounded by the Shire of Baw Baw.-Location:...
and in the Otway Ranges
Otway National Park
The Great Otway National Park is a national park in Victoria , 162 km southwest of Melbourne. It contains a diverse range of landscapes and vegetation types.-History:...
. Swedish rider Jonas Ljungblad won the General classification in the time of 26hr 39min 55sec. Karl Menzies won the sprint classification and Phillip Thuaux won the Mountains classification.
After the 2009 race, the organisers of the Herald Sun Tour proposed moving the race from its traditional October date to February, with no edition in 2010. Cycling Australia approved the move, but in the face of opposition from the UCI the plans never came to fruition. In the end the 2010 race was "held over" due to the 2010 UCI Road World Championships
2010 UCI Road World Championships
The 2010 UCI Road World Championships took place in Geelong and Melbourne, Australia, over 5 days from 29 September to 3 October 2010. It was the 77th UCI Road World Championships and the first time that Australia had held the event...
being held in Geelong and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and the race returned to the calendar in October 2011.