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The Clare Classic. Why you should ride this one-of-a-kind Gran Fondo.

By 10 February 20202020 News

The 2020 Clare Classic is only two months away! Come 4-5 April, Clare Valley will light up as it welcomes riders from all over the country. 

South Australia is undoubtedly the home of cycling in this country. With vast, open country, well-maintained roads and an abundance of gourmet cafes, wineries and restaurants, SA really is the nation’s leader. 

Here’s why you should sign up today! 

Dirty Clare 

2020 is the year that Dirty Clare makes its debut. In fact, Saturday 4 April will mark the first ever gravel ride for the Bicycling Australia Classics Series!   

Starting from Clare Town Oval, the 80km gravel course will take in the undulating climbs around Spring Gully Conservation Park. With its natural Australian fauna and wildlife, the course also offers sweeping views of the Clare Valley plains.  

This course has it all, from 891m of climbing, to longer descents where you can freewheel on the gravel to plenty of flat sections to recover. For the most part the course is not too technical, however there will be some challenging sections through the Spring Gully Conversation Park. These sections will be sign posted so you can ready yourself for some challenging terrain. 

Riesling Trail 

While we all take our cycling pretty seriously the Riesling Trail is a chance to kick back and relax. Covering about 30km, the Riesling Trail is a self-guided tour of what makes Clare Valley so great, wine!! There’s great cellar doors like Mr Micks as well as award-winning names such as Taylors and Pikes, all calling out to your taste buds!

 

Push yourself

The Clare Classic is first and foremost about fun. However, there are also a couple of courses that will push you to your limits.  

The Maxi Classic is the big one. 160km of road awaits riders as well as the Jolly Way King/Queen of the Mountain. That’s not all you’ll be climbing, with the 4km Blyth Road rising 300m early on in the ride.  

For those who still want to be pushed we have the 110km Challenge Classic. Like the name suggests it’s still hard work but not for as long. Don’t worry you’ll still get to take on the Jolly Way King/Queen of the Mountain so you’ll still feel the burn!