Historic Goldfields cycle race canned for 2025

One of the region’s most time-honoured annual sporting events, the Goldfields Cyclassic, has been cancelled this year with no guarantees that it will be resurrected.

Since 1928, the Cyclassic has taken pride of place among Australia’s oldest and most historic road races on the June long weekend, as the blue-ribbon event on the Eastern Goldfields Cycle Club’s annual calendar.

Club chair Angus McConnell could not be reached for comment on Friday.

However, formal notification of this year’s cancellation was made on the event’s official website, via a statement.

“The EGCC wishes to announce that this year’s Goldfields Cyclassic will not be going ahead,” the statement said.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all stakeholders, sponsors, volunteers, suppliers and to everyone who has participated in the event over the years.

“While the EGCC won’t be hosting the event in 2025, we remain committed to our members and assessing the future viability of the Cyclassic.”

Logistically, the event requires a power of work that includes operating special charter flights from Perth to the Goldfields and back for competitors and support crews.

Charters were made available for last year’s events because commercial flights to Kalgoorlie-Boulder do not arrive in time for race registrations and briefings.

It is understood dwindling numbers had placed additional pressure on the EGCC committee, following the withdrawal of a Perth-based events company as the main organisers.

The Cyclassic was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19 but was revived in 2021 amid an excellent field, and the 2022 event comprised $20,000 prizemoney.

Formerly the Menzies to Kalgoorlie Classic, the format was changed in 2011 to coincide with the Leonora Golden Gift athletics carnival.

It was just the second time in the program’s long history the race did not end in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and reinforced its standing as one of Australian cycling’s most historic events.

The route was reversed in 1994 as part of the Menzies Shire Council’s centenary celebrations and was won by star Kalgoorlie-Boulder rider Paul Miller, a former European professional.

The 2023 Cyclassic was boosted by the inaugural Minara Resources Leonora Women’s Classic, from Menzies to Leonora, that was raced on the second day of the two-stage program.