King Valley in northeast Victoria, will become home to a network of hundreds of kilometres of gravel cycling trails and to launch the trails the Rural City of Wangaratta will run a two day event in May 2021.
“King GRAValley” on 2 May will be aimed at experienced riders, while a family day on 1 May will target locals looking to try the growing sport.
Gravel road riding has grown rapidly in popularity and the King Valley is already known as one of the premiere destinations.
The King Valley was impacted by both bushfires in January 2020 and COVID-19 throughout the rest of the year, devastating the local tourism industry.
The King Valley Gravel project will see 10 trails marked with signage and digitally mapped from Moyhu to the Upper King Valley.
In total 500km of trails will be mapped and signed, with courses ranging from 20km – 100km.
Rural City of Wangaratta Deputy Mayor, Harry Bussell said the project would have immediate and long-lasting benefits for the King Valley community.
“It will attract tourists and give our community a chance to come together this May.
“The trails will be a permanent fixture in the King Valley, providing an ongoing attraction to boost the economy.”
Local company Gravel Mob are carrying out the design and mapping, with signage, which will be in place before the King GRAValley event in May.
Cyclists are expected to travel from all over Victoria and interstate to experience the event and to use the trails in an ongoing way.
The project is jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian Governments through a Community Bushfire Recovery Grant.
