The John Woodman Memorial, otherwise known as the Wagga to Albury, is an annual bicycle handicap race that runs between the New South Wales cities of

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...

and

Albury Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...

. The event was first run in the 1930s, leaving the Wagga Railway Station and travelling via Tarcutta and Holbrook to finish outside the Globe Hotel in Albury. In 1948 the race was changed to run via the Olympic Way and finish in Dean St. It ran this way until its conclusion in 1963. In 1987 the event was revived and has run every year since. The event is organised by the Albury Wodonga Cycling Club (AWCC) and for 2013, the race will be held on 28 July.

History

The first Wagga to Albury was held in the 1930s. Leaving the

Wagga Wagga railway station Wagga Wagga railway station is a railway station open for passenger services on the Main South line connecting Sydney and Melbourne. It has been heritage-listed, especially on account of its historical and architectural significance. A museum ...

, the race travel east to

Tarcutta Tarcutta is a town in south-western New South Wales, Australia. The town is south-west of Sydney, east of the Hume Highway, It was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890. As of 2016, the town had a population of 446. It serves a local f ...

, before travelling south through

Holbrook Holbrook may refer to: Places England *Holbrook, Derbyshire, a village * Holbrook, Somerset, a hamlet in Charlton Musgrove * Holbrook, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, a former mining village in Mosborough ward, now known as Halfway *Holbrook, Suffolk, ...

to Albury, finish outside the Globe Hotel in Dean Street. In 1948 the race change to a shorter route via the

Olympic Way Olympic Way, often incorrectly known as Wembley Way, is the road that links Wembley Park tube station and Wembley Stadium in Wembley Park, London, England. Thousands of spectators walk along it to every event as the road leads directly into the ...

to Albury. The last of the original races was held in 1963. Albury rider Jack Sommer won the fastest time. The race was revived by then the Lavington Sports Club Cycling Club. The first of the modern additions of race was held on 4 June 1986, with 96 entries rolling out from the car park of Tolland Hotel. The first addition of the race was title Wagga to Albury Cycle Classic. It was rename the John Woodman Memorial Cycle Classic a year later. Today its official name John Woodman Memorial Wagga Wagga to Albury Cycle Classic, is generally just known as Wagga to Albury. Today it remains of one of the few city to city handicap races on the open calendar. In 2010 the Albury Wodonga Cycling Club made the decision to stopping running the race due to the financial costs and other factors. The decision was later reversed.

John Woodman

The race is named in honour of John Woodman, a talented Albury rider who turned professional in 1976, and 1986 join the Sydney base Gitane team. Winning a number of NSW and Victorian titles in his career, addition to riding in six Sun Tours. John was killed on 1 October 1986 whilst training for the upcoming Sun Tour.

Course

Traditionally the race has started in front of the Tolland Hotel, Bourke Street, Wagga Wagga. In more recent times race has started from Jubilee Park on Holbrook Road due to traffic management issues. In 2010 the race started from Lloyd Road due to a clash with the Wagga Wagga Marathon, shortening the race by . The race travels through Mangoplah, Cookardina, Morven, Culcairn, Walla Walla, Jindera, before cresting the Jindera Gap and descending down to finish in front of the Lavington Hall, Urana Road Lavington. Total Length: In early years, the race finished in Albury's main street, Dean Street, in front of the Globe Hotel.

Results

Major results

;1977 :1st and Fastest – Lavington Open :4th – Cootamundra Annual :2nd – NSW Professional Road Title ;1978 :1st – NSW Professional Road Title :8th – Melbourne to Warrnambool ;1979 :1st – Tour of the North East :2nd – NSW Professional Road Title :1st – Open Road Title :1st and Fastest – Bathurst to Penrith ;1980 :2nd – Tour of the North East :Fastest Time – Griffith 100km Open :Fastest Time – Wangaratta '90' ;1981 :1st and Fastest – Sid Demmery Memorial Wagga :2nd – NSW Professional Road Title ;1983 :2 stage wins in the Sun Tour ;1986 :3rd – NSW Professional Road Title :3rd – Midlands Tour

Past winners

Fastest Time

First Female

First Local (AWCC)

{, class="wikitable" , - !Year !Male !Place !Female !Place , - align="center" , 2012 , align="left", Rhys Pollock , align="left", 1st , align="left", Lisa Barry , align="left", – , - align="center" , 2011 , align="left", Declan Gregory , align="left", 1st , align="left", Trudi Beck , align="left", – , - align="center" , 2010 , align="left", Brendan Washington , align="left", – , align="left", NA , align="left", – , - align="center" , 2009 , align="left", Brian Harris , align="left", 4th , align="left", NA , align="left", – , - align="center" , 2008 , align="left", Daniel McIntyre , align="left", 5th , align="left", NA , align="left", , - align="center" , 2007 , align="left", Greg Featonby , align="left", 2nd , align="left", Deborah Fagg , align="left", , - align="center" , 2005 , align="left", Ken Payne , align="left", 3rd , align="left", Deborah Fagg , align="left", 5th , - align="center" , 2001 , align="left", Trent Perry , align="left", 3rd , align="left", , align="left", , - align="center"

References

2011 John Woodman Memorial Flyer, published by the Albury Wodonga Cycling Club

External links

Albury Wodonga Cycling Club

Race route on Bikely

Enter online at Cycling NSW

Race route on Strava
Cycle races in Australia Recurring sporting events established in 1987 Road bicycle races 1987 establishments in Australia