A huge Tasmanian contingent will greet the starter when the 2017 Tour of the King Valley race sets off on Friday in Victoria.
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A total of 12 riders representing the Tasmanian Institute of Sport Racing Team will contest the three-day tour, with North-West interests surrounding Michael Astell, Jake Oliver, Jacob Langham, Macey Stewart and Anya Louw.
Stewart and Louw will team up with Lauren Perry, Madeleine Fasnacht, Belamie Flint to try and boost the current fourth-placed standing of the TIS women’s team.
They currently sit on 290 points, narrowly behind third-placed High5 Dream Team (307 points) and second-placed Specialized Women’s Racing (318 points).
Fasnacht also leads the points standings in the under 23 rider category on 150 points, but has Stewart close by on 120 points in second and Louw in fourth on 50 points.
Astell, Oliver and Langham have all recently returned from riding in Europe and will join with Harrison Musgrave, Ainsleigh Gray, Zac Johnson and Luke Thompson in the TIS men’s team for their first official outing in the National Road Series this season.
Friday’s action will see riders tackle a nine-kilometre individual time trial in Whitfield before an afternoon criterium in Wangaratta.
Saturday’s action takes in the iconic 118km Stade Nero course in Oxley which crosses five dirt sections.
The tour concludes on Sunday with a challenging 100km road course around the Wangaratta region.