The organisers of the L'Etape Australia cycling event have announced that the shorter Ride component of their event will not take place this year.

Just prior to the event being cancelled due to bad weather in March, 3000 people had registered for the Race and just 400 for the Ride. 4-6000 registrations are expected for the 135km Race (current COVID cap 5000 participants) on 28 November.

The organisers and the local authorities have explored multiple options to maintain The Ride, but Tour de France standards - including fully closed roads - couldn’t be met without creating substantial impact on local communities through the extended road closures.

Florent Malézieux, L’Étape Australia Race Director says, “It is paramount to Lateral Events to find the right balance between Tour de France standards and community impact, and we haven’t been able to reach this point yet.

"Placing the Ride on hold will allow us to focus on the Race, deliver a unique experience to thousands of riders and showcase Kiama, the Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands.

"We are not abandoning the idea to have The Ride again at a future edition of L’Étape Australia."

The Race route

The 80km Ride route traveled from Kiama to Berry via Gerringong, Bomaderry and Shoalhaven Heads. It crossed the Princes Highway at a major roundabout in Bomaderry, impacting restaurants, shopping centres, a sports complex and major factories.

600 Super Early Bird registrations will be available for the Race at the end of the Tour de France for $299, with prices increasing each month to reach a last minute price of $389.