The Cootamundra Annual Classic, also known as the ''Coota Classic'' or ''Coota Annual'' is a bicycle handicap race starting and finishing in the

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town of

Cootamundra Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. ...

. First run in 1955, the race is traditionally held on the last weekend in August. Today it is one of the oldest open road races in New South Wales.

History

The race has run every year since 1955, making it one of oldest races on the

Cycling NSW Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

open calendar. Organised by Cootamundra Cycling Club, past winners have included road professional

Graeme Brown Graeme Allen Brown Order of Australia, OAM (born 9 April 1979) is an Australian former professional cycle sport, cyclist, who competed professionally between 2002 and 2016 for the , and teams. A former Australian Institute of Sport scholarsh ...

and 2010 Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Rhys Pollock. Traditionally the race was held in the last Saturday of August each year, it has now moved to fit with the NSW Cycling calendar. Cootamundra local man Garry Crowe holds the title of the most Coota Annual wins after taking the honours in 1968, 1975 and again in 1991 at the age of 50 years old.

Course

Up until 2011 the course started in Cootamundra, traveled North through the small town

Wallendbeen Wallendbeen is a small town in southern New South Wales, Australia, administered by Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the , Wallendbeen and the surrounding area had a population of 305. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word ...

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

along the

Olympic Highway Olympic Highway is a rural road in the central western and south-eastern Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The highway services rural communities and links Hume Highway with Mid-Western Highway and provides part of an alterna ...

. The race then turned south, travelling to Harden, then West back to

before returning to the finish in

. The course was 120 kilometres long. From 2011 the course was shortened to 106 km with the course resembling a figure '8' centered on Cootamundra

Past winners

{, class="wikitable" , - !Year !Distance !Winner !From !Fastest Time !From , - align="center" , 2012 , 106 km , align="left", Aaron Donnelly , align="left", Illawarra CC , align="left", Aaron Donnelly 2:27'06" , align="left", Illawarra CC , - align="center" , 2011 , 106 km , align="left", Shaun Lewis , align="left", Southern Highlands CC , align="left", Stephen Fairless 2:27'21" , align="left", Shepparton Cycling Club , - align="center" , 2010 , 120 km , align="left", Rhys Pollock , align="left", Albury Wodonga CC , align="left", Rhys Pollock 2:49'21" , align="left", Albury Wodonga CC , - align="center" , 2009 , 120 km , align="left", Stuart Shaw , align="left", Canberra CC , align="left", Stuart Shaw 2:54'47" , align="left", Canberra CC , - align="center" , 2008 , 120 km , align="left", Matthew Carmellotti , align="left", Norwa Velo Club , align="left", Blair Windsor 2:48'35" , align="left", , - align="center" , 2007 , 120 km , align="left", Joe McDonnell , align="left", Sutherland Shire CC , align="left", Joe McDonnell 2:44'35" , align="left", Sutherland Shire CC , - align="center" , 2006 , 120 km , align="left", Charles Gascoyne/Kevin Nicholls , align="left", Orange CTC/? , align="left", Rob McLachlan 2:41'45" , align="left", Canberra CC , - align="center" , 2005 , 120 km , align="left", David Whyman , align="left", Randwick Botany CC , align="left", Stuart Shaw 2:41'00"* , align="left", Canberra CC , - align="center" , 2004 , 120 km , align="left", Rob McLachlan , align="left", Canberra CC , align="left", Rob McLachlan 2:42'30" , align="left", Canberra CC , - align="center" , 2003 , 120 km , align="left", Hector Morales , align="left", , align="left", Hector Morales 2:55'59" , align="left", , - align="center" , 2002 , 120 km , align="left", Craig Metcalf , align="left", Albury Wodonga CC , align="left", Josh Collingwood 2:46'46" , align="left", , - align="center" , 2001 , 120 km , align="left", John Leary , align="left", Cootamundra Cycle Club , align="left", Brian Appleyard 2:46'49" , align="left", , - align="center" , 2000 , 120 km , align="left", Darren Rolf , align="left", , align="left", Darren Rolf 2:48'07" , align="left", , - align="center" , 1999 , 120 km , align="left", Marcus Hayman , align="left", , align="left", Trent Wilson 2:48'19" , align="left", , - align="center" , 1998 , 120 km , align="left", Graham Brown , align="left", , align="left", Graham Brown 2:46'07" , align="left", , - align="center"

External links

Enter online at Cycling NSW
Cycle races in Australia Recurring sporting events established in 1955 1955 establishments in Australia Men's road bicycle races