Tour of Tasmania race director John Trevorrow believes the prologue up Launceston’s Brisbane Street West zigzag will be like a “mini Alpe d'Huez”.
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He said the 670-metre climb will challenge the National Road Series riders and make for an exciting viewing opportunity for spectators up this notorious stretch of road.
“We are very excited to have the prologue on this amazing course,” Trevorrow said.
“It will give a fantastic opportunity to the people of Launceston to view the athletes under enormous pressure as they tackle one of the most challenging climbs in the city.”
As an individual time trial, a prologue is typically dominated by the sprinters but given the short distance and steep terrain it becomes harder to determine who will take stage honours.
“One of the unique aspects of this course is that it will suit the tough sprinters and the climbers and it’s difficult to predict who will win, which makes for an exciting race,” Trevorrow said.
The prologue will provide the perfect warm-up for stage three’s Launceston to Poatina leg of the tour, a challenging course that leads riders through the North Midland’s agricultural regions before a tough climb to the finish.
“This stage is like a smiling assassin and will push the riders to the limit. It appears easy and the terrain is flat in the initial stages but a steep mountain top finish will mean there is nowhere to hide,” Trevorrow said.
The tour begins on Wednesday, October 5, and runs to Sunday, October 9.