Posted on by Matt de Neef

Tour of Australia 2014: stage 3

Inspired by the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, the Tour of Australia is a fictional three-week Grand Tour route created by David Blom and Matt de Neef to showcase some of Australia’s best cycling roads. This is the second year of the race and today we reveal stage 3 of the 2014 edition.

Route: Nimbin to Grafton
Distance: 161km
Climbing: 1,174m

Click here to see the map and profile at Ride with GPS.
Stage 3 begins in Nimbin, a small town a little more than an hour west of Byron Bay and one of Australia’s most well-known counter-culture centres. From Nimbin the riders head south on narrow, undulating hinterland roads through the regional centre of Lismore and out to the Bruxner Highway after roughly 30km.

The race heads west towards the town of Casino where, after 60km of racing, the first intermediate sprint of the day will be contested. The riders then head south on the Summerland Way which takes them to the end of the stage in Grafton roughly 100km later.

This southward journey on the Summerland Way is an undulating affair with many short and inconsequential climbs and descents. The day’s second and final intermediate sprint comes in the tiny town of Gurranang after 131km. The final five kilometres of the stage are deadflat providing a fast finale into the city of Grafton.

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For the sprinters that found themselves distanced on the gentle climb to Cape Byron on the previous stage, stage 3 will provide an opportunity to make amends. Sure, a breakaway might seek to get up the road in search of some TV time but it’s hard to see this ending any other way than a bunch sprint.

For the GC contenders it’s another opportunity to sit in, take it easy and save energy for the many decisive stages to come.

Previous stages

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2 Replies to “Tour of Australia 2014: stage 3”

  1. For lovers of big things, we are sure that the Big Prawn in Ballina would get a chopper fly by.

    There are numerous mountains that would be great to climb around the area. Mt Nardi and Mt Warning being obvious highlights. Tooloom Rd a little further afield, is one of the finest mountain passes in the country, it has wide open fields and farmland to one side with views to the border ranges and on the other it is dense rainforest.

    I am sure that in future editions, we shall come to explore the mountains around here in a bit more detail as there are plenty of spectacular mountains and passes to visit in this neck of the woods as the Battle on the Border shows us each year.

    Reply

  2. Much like clenbuterol testing in China, organisers may have to skip marijuana testing on a day like today.

    Reply

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