TDG’s 10th Year Anniversary!!!

Tour de Gracetown donates to the South West Coronary Care and South West Cancer Service, both of which have been newly established at St John of God Bunbury Hospital. These services provide vital health care to people living in the South West. They serve both public and private patients and the great benefit is that people don’t have the added burden of travelling to Perth to get specialist medical treatment in their time of need.

This year is Tour de Gracetown’s 10th Anniversary and plans are in full swing. It’s time we ask our friends of TDG to commit to the event on the 28th March 2015 to show their support in what we hope will be our largest event ever!

Please feel free to pass this e-newsletter to your friends so that they can plan ahead and organise their tickets via: www.tourdegracetown.com.au

Major Sponsor – Mont Property:

Mont Property is a boutique real estate firm servicing the City Of Melville, specialising in the sale and lease management of premium homes. Since the company was founded in 2008 by Matthew Podesta, Mont Property has continued to excel and not only become a market leader, but also maintain a perfect combination of friendly, courteous and knowledgeable service one would want in the process of selling or buying a home.
As the proud major sponsor of Tour De Gracetown, Mont Property encourages all participants to utilise their unrivaled services as they will gladly donate half the commission received in the sale of a local property to TDG and its causes, when referred to us directly through TDG.
For particulars of this arrangement or to simply ask for our advice please contact our office on 08 9364 6668.

Registration Prize:

Punto Tours has generously donated a $5500 registration Prize for all registered 2015 Tour De Gracetown riders. The prize is a FREE European cycle tour with PuntoTours for 2016. The tour choice remains to be determined and will be finalised once the winner has been drawn. The winner can determine his/her prize depending on his/her cycling ability and time availability. Everything (except airfare) is included in the Tour valued at over $5500, including:

All hotel accommodation – minimum 3 star, usually 4 star (twin share)
Breakfasts & Dinners
2 Guides on tour (one fully qualified mechanic)
Van support throughout tour and All in-tour transfers
Snacks and food supplements including electrolytes during tour
Activities depending on region (wine/cheese/olive oil tastings, boat trips)
Garmin 800 loan unit with maps for duration of tour
1 PuntoTours cycling kit (cycling jersey, knicks and socks) per guest

Any persons registering for the MONT Property Tour de Gracetown this year (2015) is automatically entered into the prize draw. (See website for further details terms and conditions). Please review our tours at: http://www.puntotours.com, or email Vince for further information: vince@puntotours.com

The Route Maps:

We have enclosed the route map once again just to highlight the following:

Start –End 110 km is Gracetown
Start – End 55 km is Gracetown to Rosa Brook – with transport options for 2015
Staggered start times from 7 am on-wards depending on self-nominated average speeds
Mid Way Point for 110 km is also Rosa Brook with TWO mid way start times 9:30 am and 10 am respectively.
Cut off point for half way mark for event (55/110 km) is 9:55 am
Cut off point for Whole Event for 110 km is 12:30 pm
Formal festivities afterwards at Cheeky Monkey – more details below.

Long Distance 110 km: with the cumulative climbs and general route.

Shorter Distance 55 km: with cumulative climbs and general route.

Bike Valet Services:

Bike Valet have been contracted to provide the following services for TDG:

Transport from Rosa Brook to Gracetown for up to 45 riders doing 55 km event.
There will be a nominal fee of $30 for this service as this will also require the hiring of coaches / commuter buses depending on the level of sign up.
To secure your booking with Bike Valet for the 55 km distance return please email: Bike Valet at: info@bikevalet.com.au
Provide transport for participants wishing to haul their bikes from Perth to Gracetown to Perth.

This service will be particularly good for participants who have limited carrying capacities in their vehicles or who are also carrying family members and other equipment.
Also suitable for those who wish to travel through the South West and sight-see on the Sunday and not worry about the security of their bikes.
Please make direct arrangement with Bike Valet via the above email as they have designated pick up zones in the Perth CBD at any given day for this service. The cost of this service from Perth to Gracetown is quoted as $40 one way.
Please read the comprehensive services afforded by Bike Valet (Bike Valet Services).

Before and After Celebrations:

We are extremely privileged to have the direct support of Cheeky Monkey Brewery & Cidery for our event and this year BEFORE and AFTER Tour de Gracetown!
They have been generous in providing the following for TDG:

Friday night 27th March 2015:

Registration & Networking Night – Come and meet the Event management team and our sponsors at their tents and the registration tent and AVOID the queue for the morning of the 28th!
4:00-6:00 pm rego desk manned
$15 pizzas and $10 pints (50% discount off their rates!)

Saturday 28th March 2015:

Afters Party with Family, Friends & Team Mates!
$30 meal voucher on selected food items available for pre-purchase on Friday night.
Pre -purchase tickets on Friday night would assist them in getting food out timely for those organised ones
Food will be rolled out from 2:30pm to 5:00pm
Dedicated lawned area for DJ, speeches, raffles etc. 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm.
Teams / Team Captains and individuals will NEED to be organised and make advanced bookings way ahead to ensure they secure a place at the AFTERS party.

Contact Cheeky Monkey directly for all of the above please via:
Email: info@cheekymonkeybrewery.com.au and state Tour de Gracetown and provide your:

Name / Email / Contact Number / Place of Stay in the region

Cheeky Monkey Brewery & Cidery
P: (08) 9755 5555 www.cheekymonkeybrewery.com.au

Technology:
In 2015 we have also updated our technology – we will be providing every registered participant with the following electronically as part of our commitment towards safety and traffic management:

GPX / TCX file on the selected route
Emergency contact list
Directional Cue Sheet
E-maps

Once registered you will commence receiving information from the beginning of March 2015 when the event logistics have been finalised.

Ride Format:
We recognise that riders prefer to ride at a speed which they are comfortable with – with their friends. To that extent we have created average speed categories that you choose yourself at time of registration.
We do remind you to inform your friends of your chosen category so that those riding with you can also do the same for the safety and well being of all involved.
Each ride category will leave Gracetown at a specific time with what we call “Wave Starts” and each group will have its own designated Safety Vehicle in front and Support Vehicle at the back of the peloton.

Coffee Van Services:

Café 2 U Kenwick Maddington have been appointed as the official Coffee Van providers for Tour de Gracetown in March 2015. We have Andy and Mandy Lynch who are themselves avid cyclists who will be present to support our Event.
Their location:

Start – Gracetown Hall from 5:45 am to 7:15 am
Mid Way – Rosa Glen from 8:30 am to 10:00 am
End – Gracetown Hall from 11:00 am to end of proceedings

Nutrition & Hydration:

Enervit Nutrition and Hydration will be present on the Saturday evening at Cheeky Monkey as well as in the morning of the Event for those who need to purchase Enervit products. Part proceeds of all sales will be donated back to Tour De Gracetown and they will also be supplying the Hydration as sponsor at the start and the mid-way point of the event.
There will be Special Enervit pre-event sales in mid March 2015 leading to our event with proceeds going to Tour de Gracetown and this will be available to all registered participants.
Enervit Nutrition and Hydration is direct from Italy and the WA Agency has been proactive in securing representation of its products in many bike events in 2015 especially with its pedigree including the UWCT World, Italian Masters championships, Pinarello Gran Fondo and the Dolomites Marathon.

Glen Parker Cycles – A Committed Synergy Partner!:

Glen Parker Cycles with Dennis Lightfoot, Hilton McMurdo and Matthew Blackwell at the helm, have been dedicated and fantastic supporters in the cycling community for charity events, Bikeweek and many road races and events in this State.
GPC as they are known, are now lending a hand to Tour de Gracetown by making your participant entry worth even more! By presenting your Tour De Gracetown Registration Form (you need to be registered) you will be entitled to 15% off any new bike and 20% off products in their store unless otherwise discounted or already on sale.
This SPECIAL Tour de Gracetown offer for participants will be valid from the 16th March to the 21st March 2015 during their business hours!
That TDG ticket just become more valuable!

Spreading the Word:
With March 2015 around the corner – its NOW time to get your friends and teams into action and help us spread our Mission of charity and assisting the St John of God Foundation and Telethon Adventurers via:

Website: www.tourdegracetown.com.au
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tour-De-Gracetown/177097385675825?ref=hl

We are aiming for more than 500 riders for the 10th Anniversary and only you can make this possible. We are already grateful to those who have ALREADY registered and still others who have pledged their social / bunch ride in support of TDG.

Further Information:
If you can be of assistance and can contribute to TDG 2015 or are simply wanting to register participation of your team / bunch please do so via the following communication channels:

Registration: