The organisers of L’Etape have been granted an exemption to the rules for large events, and are now able to increase the total number of riders from 3000 to 4000.

“There will now be 3000 riders able to participate in the Race and 1000 in the Ride,” says Florent Malézieux, Head of Sport with Lateral Event Management. 

“The extra tickets are selling fast.”

Registrations will remain open until Monday 15 March at 10am or when sold out.

The roll-out of the event is gearing up, with the Event Village due to be established in Coronation Park, Surf Beach, on Wednesday 17 March (which means the Farmers' Market will be on at the Showground that day).

As well as being a registration point on the Friday, the Village will host a stage with live entertainment and cycling clinics by Tour de France alumni on Friday and Saturday, a beer garden area with a bar and food vendors, and an exhibition area with the latest cycling equipment. Each of these differentiated areas will have restricted numbers at any one time, and other precautions will be in place to make it COVID-safe.

Entry to the Village itself is free, but requires registering for a ticket, preferably beforehand. Register now.

The Village will be open Friday 19 March, 10am-7pm, and Saturday 20 March, 6am-3.30pm

With regard to the clearway areas that have been recently been signposted by Transport for NSW on Manning Street in Kiama and Churchill Street in Jamberoo, he says, “They are areas that have been identified as places where parked cars could be a hazard to cyclists.”