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I’m still buzzing after the weekend! Anyone else!? You can’t wipe the smile off my face when I think about L’Étape Australia this year and I won’t apologise for being caught smiling in every single photo taken on the bike during the event. I absolutely loved meeting so many of you in the village, on the road and everywhere in between. I might have my own stories to tell but I love hearing yours and I heard so many inspiring stories throughout the weekend that I will remember for a long time. There are no doubts that it was a BI... Read More

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The 2018 Riders' Guide to L’Étape Australia is here! Everything you need to know to prepare for the big day with the details for this year, including the new Start, Finish and Village located in Jindabyne . Read and download the 2018 Riders' Guide ... Read More

Freshen up and get ready   Unlike the last ditch efforts we’re all guilty of to get ready for a school or university exam, with less than 10 days to go to L’Étape Australia, it’s too late to cram in a heap of training. It’s time to freshen up to be at your best on Saturday 1 December. Ten days out from Race/Ride day all the work is done… at least it should be. Trying to squeeze in one or two more big sessions won’t make you faster but it could result in you getting rundown and sick. Here’s a plan for the final ... Read More

It's coming! 1 degree and snow - winter has arrived early in Europe. As I sit here typing this, trying to warm up from my ride outside I find myself dreaming of the Aussie Summer. There are so many things (besides the warmer weather) that I love – and first on the summer list for the last two years has been L’Étape Australia. It will be no secret to you by now that I love the climbs so the terrain that the Snowy Mountains offers is the kind of stuff my dreams are made of. I couldn’t think of a better place to host this event. More th... Read More

What to do on the day Cycling Inform is sharing some precious advises with our community to get ready for the Race. Wear sunscreen if the predicted UV index is very high Even if you are targeting a faster ride, you may still be out there in the sun during the hottest part of the day. Make sure you have a small tube of sunscreen on you and apply it regularly. Long sleeve lycra arm warmers will give you additional protection from the sun as well. Drink regularly to avoid dehydration During the heat of the day, you could find that your ... Read More

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Why I can’t wait to ride in the Snowy Mountains It has been a while, the last time I was in the Snowy Mountains was on a training camp with the GreenEdge team, we were riding from Victoria to Canberra to do some testing at the AIS and finish off the planning for a new season. I remember it quite well as it was a very hard day on the bike, we came through Kankoben up over Dead Horse Gap and down to Jindabyne, where we spent the night. The following day we did the last leg of our trip to Canberra. My mind was fitter than my body, I pushed mys... Read More

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We ride L’Étape because it is hard John F. Kennedy famously said, “we choose to go to the moon not be because it is easy, but because it is hard”. It’s my favourite Kennedy quote. Of course, it might not have the same resonance if Neil Armstrong hadn’t taken that famous leap for mankind. But the real strength of the quote lays in the truth of there being a far greater sense of achievement in doing what is hard. The Tour de France has built its popularity by being hard. One of the objectives of the first edition, in 1903, was t... Read More

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Amanda Spratt's Guide to All Weather Riding Cycling is a sport that takes place in any kind of weather. A game of cricket or tennis is stopped when the rain falls, but a cyclist puts on a rain jacket and keeps going. My opinion? Once you’re off the couch and out there it never seems as bad as you imagined. Being prepared to embrace the elements and learn how to deal with them, both mentally and physically, is important. This year I have had it all – the freezing spring, the ferociously hot summer and the months in-between. Clothing choi... Read More

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Here are my preparation tips for L’Étape Australia - Travel and accommodation You will need to collect your bib from the race village the day before the event, so make sure you plan your journey accordingly and then work out where you’ll be staying on the Friday night – don’t leave this until the last minute! The best deals on accommodation can be found here. Air travel Airlines will not accept a bike unless it's packed in a bag or box. There are plenty of options available for packing your bike and some airlines even provi... Read More

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Amanda Spratt's World Championship Race Report Innsbruck. A city name for some, but for me this name has been front and centre of my mind for a good 12 months. In fact, ever since I made the solo trip to this beautiful city in Austria to ride the courses for the 2018 World Championships I've known that this is a place that could become so much more than an adventure location for me. Many will know that my 2018 season was focused on three main goals: the Ardennes, the Giro and the World Championships. With the first two goals ticked off, I ... Read More

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L’Étape Australia by Le Tour de France is proud to announce that Winners Bars will be coming on board for the L’Étape Australia 2018 as Official Supporter, to help keep you all fuelled before, during and after the race! Winners Sports Nutrition are doing a special discount for L’Étape riders to help you through your training – just use the discount code ‘Letape’ when you purchase via the website for a 10% discount! Keep fuelled guys!... Read More

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Injury. What are you if you are not riding your bike? I think often elite athletes are defined by their sport and when that is taken from them it’s like losing their identity. I have tried to come back from injury far too quickly on most occasions. Even after a fall in a race the first instinct is to get up and get riding - if I am riding then I must be fine and there is nothing wrong (that, and the bunch generally doesn’t wait, so laying around only adds to the injury). During my time as a cyclist, I think the ha... Read More

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At the World Championships it’s tribal Sport, of any kind, generates the most passion when it’s tribal. It’s the key to the popularity of all the football codes. But there’s nothing more tribal than supporting your national team. In cycling, the world championships is the only race of the year that is truly tribal. We cheer for Richie Porte at the Tour de France but he’s in BMC colours. Shara Gillow has been at the pointy end of just about every race she’s ridden this year but she’s in FDJ colours. At the world champion... Read More

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How to conquer the Col de Beloka Stage 14 this year’s Tour de France gave us a master class in how to perform at your best on L’Étape Australia’s Col de Beloka. Beloka is 3.04km, at an average gradient of 9 per cent. The climb at the end of Stage 14 was the Cote de la Croix Neuve to Mende, which the French call the Montée Laurent Jalabert, since their hero claimed the stage there on Bastille Day in 1995. This climb is 3.34km, at an average gradient of 10 per cent. This year there was a large breakaway group, well ahead of th... Read More

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Riding efficiently can have a dramatic impact on how well you finish your event and how well your recovery after it. We know that riding in a bunch can be up to 30% more efficient than riding on your own. But more importantly, for the same amount of energy as you would be using riding solo you could be sitting in a bunch and travelling much faster. So, here are a few tips to help you be more efficient. The first one is to get up close to the wheel in front of you. The closer you get, the less energy you’ll need to ... Read More

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The same but different, the Vuelta and the Tour If you’ve got a sibling that you have nothing in common with, despite loving them dearly, then you’ll understand the differences between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana. They are both owned by the same company (ASO), they are both 21 stages, they are both classified as a Grand Tours and the list of previous winners is pretty similar. Despite all of these external similarities they are completely different. At the Tour the spectators are lining the finish line barriers from... Read More

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What is so special about the Mitchelton-SCOTT team? I have been lucky enough to be a part of Mitchelton-SCOTT since its inception in 2012. For me, what makes this feel even more special is that from day one of the team Gerry Ryan and Shayne Bannan both believed in a women’s team. It’s great to see more men’s World Tour teams now including a women’s team, but I feel proud that our team had one from the start. A women’s team is different to a men’s team – the core group that travels all year round together are 10 riders, 2 direc... Read More

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Alpe d’Huez is such an iconic climb in the sport of cycling, when you think of the Tour de France and the Alps then this is the one: the fans, the hairpins, the history. When looking at the route for the Tour there were two stages that stuck out for me, the first of course was the Roubaix stage, but then stage 12, Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs > Alpe d’Huez, 175km. To set the scene this was the third day of three very, very hard days in the Alps. Every day you get on the bike in a Grand Tour you wonder how the legs ar... Read More

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Riding in bunches can be complex. In this article, I’ve put together the top nine tips to help keep you safe. Keep up toward the front of the bunch. Most dangers are in the middle or to the rear of the bunch. To stay out of trouble always move towards the front when it’s safe to do so. Avoid crazy riders. These are the riders that hit the brakes hard when something happens, overlap wheels or don’t hold their line. If you encounter a rider like this, safely move around them so that they are behind you. Ho... Read More

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My Tour highs and lows Six Tour de France wins in seven years for team Sky. Again they were boringly brilliant. It’s a remarkable achievement. Even more so to have achieved it with three different riders – Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and now Geraint Thomas. A Murdoch budget certainly does help. For the sake of some entertainment I held onto hope of a Wiggins v Froome in house feud. Froome didn’t have the legs for it to eventuate but it was a credit to both of them that there wasn’t even a hint of tension between them. And while ... Read More

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Winter training -5degrees but it feels like -15degrees. Are you kidding? No – Welcome to March 2018 in Europe! From the outside it may seem like I am constantly chasing Summer but days like those have meant I have had to learn how to get through the cold training days as I prepare for the season ahead. Staying focused when you see those weather forecasts or getting the motivation to get out and get the training in can be hard. Every year I learn new ways to cope or lessons that make me better the next time the cold snap comes. The top ti... Read More

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Inside the Women's World Tour The alarm rings. It takes me a good minute to register what it is. The body is aching. I didn’t sleep very well last night as my legs were so sore and tired from the final big training session for the Giro that they wouldn’t stop throbbing. Within seconds of opening my eyes my stomach already tells me it’s time for breakfast. I make my way to the kitchen, thankful no one is around to see my tiny eyes trying to welcome the day in. It’s definitely a double-shot coffee kind of day. It’s been a common occurr... Read More

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Nutrition guidelines for training and riding Everyone has their unique dietary requirements, so it’s vital to find out what works for you. There is no magic food or formula that works best. Here is what I recommend for my athletes. Eat foods that are as unprocessed as possible; Focus on consuming a healthy serving of lightly steamed veggies with evening meals; Snack on fruit and nuts during the day; Eat low GI and unprocessed carbohydrates; Eat white meat and lean red meat; Reduce the consumption of soft drinks,... Read More

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Tour Time, Pressure Time   For anyone working in road cycling – riders, management and even commentators – the Tour de France defines your year. It’s a sporting pressure cooker. Put yourself in Richie Porte’s shoes and contemplate the pressure he’s putting on himself. Richie has had a good season so far. A stage win and second overall at the TDU, third in the Tour of Romandie, victory at the Tour de Suisse. But if he doesn’t meet expectations at the Tour it won’t be classified as a successful year. Richie is aiming to win.... Read More

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Build your cycling strength and aerobic fitness first Contrary to popular belief that High-Intensity Interval Training, focusing on speed training, is the Holy Grail to solving every training problem, it’s unfortunately not the case. While speed training is still important, the improvements are gained quickly and lost quickly. The level of improvement you get from it is also determined by the amount of base and strength training you have done previously. Unlike base and strength training which you can continue to build for most of... Read More

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The Mind Game The mind game: the constant battle between mind and body. People often talk about mental vs physical ability – I’m not one to put a percentage on it but I firmly believe that the mindset you can put yourself in can really affect what you are capable of physically. I would like to share an example with you: You are suffering up a climb: there just seems to be drag after drag. You keep telling yourself just get to the next turn. Good you made it, now to the next one. Your body is aching, lungs stinging and your legs are bur... Read More

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Don’t stop now You charge your lights overnight, it’s dark when your alarm goes off, you’ve got an extra layer of clothing on and getting out the door is so much harder than it was in February or March. These next few dreary months is when sticking to a solid training plan can take you to the next level. Consistency, as boring as it sounds, throughout winter will make L’Étape so much more enjoyable and rewarding. Here are a few strategies to keep those crucial kilometres in your legs. GROUP RIDE GUILT GETS YOU GOING T... Read More

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5 top tips for Women in Cycling The alarm buzzes at 5:30am. Your eyes struggle to open but you still manage to roll out of bed and make your way to the kitchen where you ready yourself for your ride. Just a few months ago you would never have contemplated this situation unfolding on a Sunday morning, yet somehow this cycling culture crept up behind you, absorbed you, sucked you in. As a female cyclist I think that from the outside cycling can seem like a male-dominated sport. There may be more males riding bikes than females, but it shoul... Read More

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  Lateral Events is honoured to have won three prestigious awards for L'Étape Australia at the 2017 National Meetings and Events Australia Awards; Public Event of the Year Regional Event of the Year The Platinum Award for highest overall point score. This recognition by the event industry rewards Lateral Events for the hard work put into the project, the incredible support received from the partners and sponsors and, the fantastic support and enthusiasm showed by the local community of the Snowy Mountains. We are l... Read More

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Getting Started If you haven’t prepared properly for these events, you may find you spend time having to mentally drive yourself through to the end. While this may be “character building”, the better your preparation leading up to L’Étape and the fitter you are on the day, the more enjoyable the ride will be for you. Both The Race and The Ride involve climbing some of the major alpine “Cols” in NSW so I would certainly recommend that you establish a reasonable amount of base and hill strength first. You... Read More

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It’s just a number, I’ve had many numbers in my time. The number 5 has been good to me, as has 55 (Roubaix), but that’s when they are stuck on my back. This one is different, in April I turned 40 years old..... It’s just a number. I got back from the Gold Coast and the Commonwealth Games to a quiet week at home, as quiet as can be with 15 month old twins who climb as much as they walk these days, I needed it, but more than anything, my family needed it. They needed their husband and father home for more than a few nights. ... Read More

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My legs are screaming and the cramps have started. I see the 1000m to go sign and know that I just have to suffer, to embrace it. This is everything I have been working for, just keep pushing and don’t give up is all I can tell myself. People line the side of the road but I don’t see them, I don’t hear them, I’m only focused on the finish line. I can see Anna van der Breggen just in front of me. So close… yet so far. Finally I take the left turn and see the finish banner. I watch as Anna celebrates and I cross the line 6 seconds later... Read More

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L’Étape is global because it’s not easy The Tour de France drags people in like no other bike race. In the last two years at L’Étape Australia I’ve seen former Australian road champions, Steve Drake (the now CEO of Cycling Australia) and Jamie Drew, line up, as anonymous faces in the crowd, alongside people doing their first mass participation event. The common thread between Drake and Drew and the thousands on the start line is shared with the 60 riders who started the first Tour de France, in 1903. It’s the spirit of adventu... Read More

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I keep squeezing my hands, my knuckles are sore, signs of blisters on the palms. I didn’t get much sleep on Sunday night, but that has become the norm for me the night after Roubaix. I never sleep well. My mind plays images of the race over and over, as I try to piece together what happened. It all happens so fast during the race, you are so focused that it’s not until you are laying there awake in the dark, trying to rest a body that no longer has adrenalin masking it aches, that you have time to go back and try to piece together how you e... Read More

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The 2018 Ride and Race are physically just as hard as they’ve always been but much easier logistically. Importantly both events start and finish in Jindabyne. All the social, logistical and administrative activities will be in the L’Étape Australia Village, at Banjo Patterson Park in Jindabyne, including overnight secure bike parking. THE RACE The Race, which is 170km with 3,000m worth of climbing, reminds me of Stage 17 of the 2017 Tour de France. L'Étape Australia 2018 - The Race   Tour de France 2017 - Stage ... Read More

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Details of the 2018 edition of L'Étape Australia by le Tour de France were released today, comprising some significant changes and improvements. Since its inception in 2016, L'Étape Australia by le Tour de France has provided a new level of riding experience in Australia, combining the beauty of the Snowy Mountains, the incredible enthusiasm of the locals and an event run to Tour de France professional standards. In 2016 and 2017 L’Étape Australia was the largest Tour de France event held outside France, providing amateur riders with an... Read More

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3,500 RIDERS ENJOY L’ETAPE AUSTRALIA 2017 The last rider has crossed the finish line in the second edition of L’Étape Australia by Le Tour de France. Jesse Coyle was crowned with the Yellow Jersey for First Male across the finish line, and Gina Ricardo was awarded the Yellow Jersey for First Female. Rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the almost 3,500 riders who completed the course at a good pace. At 4:30pm yesterday, Friday 1 December, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted significantly worsening weather with much higher rainf... Read More

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We are proud to announce lucky winners of the competitions below: SIGNED YELLOW JERSEY PROMOTION  Congratulations Michael Nolan! You are a lucky winner of a yellow jersey signed by Chris Froome  THE LITTLE SNAIL RESTAURANT PROMOTION Congratulations Sarah Grist! You are a lucky winner of a French dinner for 2 at the Little Snail Restaurant, Sydney MIDNIGHT OIL PROMOTION #1 Congratulations Bruce Wharrie! You are a lucky winner of 2 tickets for the sold out Midnight Oil concert in Sydney MIDNIGHT OIL PROMOTION #2 Congratulations Ro... Read More

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The L’Etape Australia 2017 Official Jersey has been released, online now for purchase.  L’Etape Australia by Le Tour de France is proud to announce that Cuore from Switzerland, one of the greatest cycling apparel brand, will provide the 2017 Official Jersey. We shared two designs with our community, across multiple social networks and the riders chose the « Australian Stripes » jersey. Now Available in both men's and women's cuts with a variety of sizes. While stocks last! Purchase yours online today: ACME MERCHANDISING Fre... Read More

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In 2017, L’Étape Australia was successfully held in the NSW Snowy Mountains through the dedication and support of the volunteers who helped us delivering the largest Tour de France event held outside of France. It was the smiling faces, can-do attitudes and commitment of the volunteers that allowed L’Étape Australia to truly come to life. From the volunteers who assisted with registration packs collection in the Village to the volunteers out on the Food and Wiggle Energy Zones on the course and everything in between; it was the combine... Read More

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When preparing for the event, please don't forget to bring the following  essentials: Confirmation letter required to pick up your Race Pack Valid form of identification If under the age of 18, provision of a letape-parental-consent-form-revised-v2 Helmet and comfortable clothing Spare tube and repair kit Some cash for the restaurants/bars at the end of each distance Remember to fill in the details on the back of your bib when picking up your registration  ... Read More

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Dates for L’Étape Australia by le Tour de France 2017   L’Étape Australia will remain in the same weekend in 2017, placing the Race and the Ride on Saturday 2nd December 2017 in the NSW Snowy Mountains.    ... Read More

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Community Information If you are from the region of Snowy Mountains and would like further information on the event, please note that we will be holding several meetings in the area to consult with the local community and inform everyone on the plans for the event, details for the event weekend, extended information about road closures, and provide plenty of chances for community feedback. Please check back on this page for updates in the lead up to the event for more information and notifications of upcoming information meetings. Imag... Read More

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Simon Baggs, CEO of L’Étape Australia by le Tour de France, today welcomed Snowy Hydro Limited as major sponsor of the first Tour de France event to be held in Australia.   The inaugural L’Étape Australia will be held in the Snowy Mountains on the 3rd December, bringing thousands of amateur cyclists to ride on 157km of closed roads, under race conditions.   There will be two challenging route options (The Race and The Ride), Sprint and King of the Mountain sections and genuine Tour de France Yellow, Polka Dot and Gre... Read More

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Chris Froome has been appointed L'Étape Australia's Pro Mentor. Tour de France reigning champion Chris Froome will be riding with you in L'Étape Australia by le Tour de France in the NSW Snowy Mountains on the 3rd December 2016. Chris will be providing video tips in the lead up to L'Étape and will host a series of clinics on the 1st and 2nd December in Jindabyne where he will share his experience with the audience on training for the Race and the Ride,racing tactics, riding safely in packs, breakaways and the physical and mental a... Read More