By Sasha Ness
Over 100 kilometres of Brisbane’s roads will be shut down on July 11 for the fundraising cycling event Tour de Brisbane.
The event seeks to raise money for heart and lung transplant research at the Prince Charles Hospital via the hospital’s charity, The Common Good.
More than 6,500 riders have already signed up for the Brisbane Cycling Festival event, and nearly $100,000 of the $125,000 goal has been raised.
The cycling event has beginner and intermediate routes extending throughout the CBD and Brisbane’s south-eastern suburbs, including an optional climb segment up Mount Coot-Tha.
This Sunday’s ride will be the second time the fundraiser has been held, after the event was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All riders and spectators will be required to wear a mask and use the Check-in Queensland app. However, riders may remove their cover once the ride has commenced.
Tour de Brisbane Race Director Mike Crawley said there is a “huge appeal” to participating in the Tour de Brisbane.
“I don’t believe there are too many cities in the world that [would] close to allow a bike race.
“The fact that Brisbane can make this happen inside of a city is pretty unusual, and that’s probably why it’s so highly sought after,” he said.
Mr Crawley said he believes that, in future years, turnout will grow exponentially as the threat of COVID-19 transmission eases, though he maintained that this Sunday’s event would be “very safe and very secured”.
“We’re pretty certain that once COVID calms down, this will become the biggest bike ride and race in the nation in terms of volume,” he said.
In 2020, The Common Good charity raised $4.6 million in funding, despite a reduction of cafe sales of up to $50,000 per week and the cancellation of last year’s cycling event due to the pandemic.
The Tour de Brisbane will provide a significant contribution to the Prince Charles Hospital’s research fund, with every $44 donated amounting to an hour of research time.