Great effort: Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club members Rhys Gillett, Sam Edwards and Joshua Liston with their medals after performing well in the Amy Gillett 120km Gran Fondo event.
HELPING to raise awareness for safe cycling, three Ballarat cyclists qualified for a place in the UWCT Final – Union Cycliste International World Cycling Tour.
Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club’s Rhys Gillett, Sam Edwards and Joshua Liston all finished in the top quarter of their age category in the Amy Gillett’s 120 kilometre Gran Fondo event last week to qualify for the big event.
The circuit took the riders through Lorne, Skenes Creek, Deans Marsh and back to Lorne.
Gillett successfully defended his title earning the Subaru King of Mountain Jersey for the second year in a row. He raced third fastest in the 16 to 29 age group.
More than 4200 cyclists rode in the Gran Fondo.
This week begins the 29th Safe Cycle month for Victoria, supported by the Amy Gillett Foundation, which aims to raise awareness for bicycle safety on the road. The Gran Fondo is one of many events in her name that promotes safer cycling.
This year six cyclists have died on Victorian roads, so far. In 2011, there were eight deaths in total.
State Bicycle co-ordinator Sergeant Arty Lavos said Victoria had the highest rate of cycling in Australia, with around one million Victorians riding a bicycle each week.
“With the deaths of 106 vulnerable road users last year alone, including cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists, the need to increase awareness of this group has never been higher,” Sergeant Lavos said.