A Nulla Vale local is riding his 20th Great Vic Bike Ride later this year.
This year’s ride, which marks the 40th anniversary, will begin in Wodonga and end in Healesville, passing through many much-loved north-eastern Victoria towns.
Kurt van Wijck will ride his 20th Great Vic Bike ride, joined by his daughters Lottie and Pippa van Wijck.
Completing his first Great Vic Bike Ride in the late ‘90s, Mr van Wijck said that the event has a great atmosphere and provides a challenging ride.
He said that he has ridden with his daughters many times and once towed his daughter Lottie behind him in a trailer when she was about four years old.
“For me, the family feel of the whole ride is wonderful,” Mr van Wijck said.
“I remember distinctly once on the freeway to the start of the ride, a car drove past us [with the driver] frantically waving. None of us recognised them. Once [they] passed, we noticed they also had bikes on the back of the car – it even starts before you get there,” he said.
Riders can choose between three-day, five-day, or nine-day cycling routes – with the full nine-day route covering 501 kilometres.
The organisation said that the ride introduces participants to parts of Victoria that they might not have visited, with many returning to explore them further after the ride.
This year’s ride will begin on November 23, with the complete route ending on December 1.
