Wheels in motion: The movement to revive WA cycling

The race against the clock to turn Western Australia into a cycling hotspot.

Picture: Andrew Amos

Picture: Andrew Amos

Identical twins Matt and Tim Harvey have done everything together since birth.

Growing up around Fremantle, they went to school together and dominated almost every athletic pursuit as a duo.

They played hockey on the same team, and now they ride together as semi-professional cyclists.

Their skills have taken them all over the world: Europe, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, America. Before COVID-19, they were racing in a dozen different events across the seven seas.

"Racing in Asia is terrifying to be honest," Tim says about a pre-COVID world.

"So is racing in Europe, but for different reasons. Being a cyclist over there is like being an AFL player.

"You get treated like royalty."

The one thing they have not done though is properly compete in Perth, their hometown, in front of the same kind of crowds.

Tim Harvey (far right) and brother Matt have been racing in WA for nearly a decade, starting as junior riders. Picture: Andrew Amos

Tim Harvey (far right) and brother Matt have been racing in WA for nearly a decade, starting as junior riders. Picture: Andrew Amos

WA cycling is undergoing a renaissance thanks to the success of young stars internationally.

However, there are still massive holes in the racing calendar.

The National Road Series ⁠— Australia’s premier road cycling circuit featuring around a dozen races across the country ⁠— has not had a race in Perth since 2015.

COVID has not helped local riders get out of the state and prepare for big races on the Eastern seaboard.

Ben O’Connor, Luke Durbridge, Jai Hindley, Michael Storer, Chris Hamilton ⁠— all of these riders are now making a name for themselves on the WorldTour having started there.

Being able to join that illustrious roster would be a dream come true for the Harvey twins, who have been racing at the top level in Australia for over three years now.

"It’s been a weird two years because we love to race and train, and we can’t really properly do either," Matt says.

"We can’t stop training, but it feels at times that there’s nothing to train for. We have to try and peak around four to five events a year, but trying to time those windows is so hard."

The first member of that list, Ben O'Connor, joined greats like Richie Porte, Caleb Ewan, and Tour De France winner Cadel Evans with his 2021 heroics.

The 25-year-old Perth rider stunned the world with his Stage 9 win and fourth place overall at the biggest event of the year. 

He was a total underdog, and it got the wheels turning back home.

Ben O'Connor won Stage 9 of the Tour de France in 2021, helping reignite the WA cycling scene. Video: ASO

Cycling's booming popularity is best showcased at the Tour of Margaret River (TOMR).

The event, which started in 2009 as a showcase of the region, has since exploded into a multi-day festival of cycling.

In 2021, 175 teams have signed up to compete across all divisions ⁠— a record for race organisers Brendon Morrison and Rebecca Cotton.

"It’s now the largest road race in Australia, and nothing really comes close," Ms Cotton says.

"Gran Fondos and some charity rides get close, but when it comes to road racing, the TOMR has the biggest field."

The event pits not only Perth’s best against each other, but also some of the world's best.

Women's world champions Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vleuten have raced in Margaret River before, as well as Australian stalwart Luke Durbridge.

The organisers aim to add a more social aspect into racing.

While there’s something to ride for in all grades, there's a big focus in giving everyone experience in a team, not just the pros.

It’s also a massive boost for the local towns the Tour passes through.

Nannup, Greenbushes, and the whole Margaret River region benefits from a $2 million economic boost each year, according to Ms Cotton, with cafes and accommodation full to the brim every November.

However, the race organisers do not want to make the jump into becoming an accredited NRS race, and fill the void left by the Tour de Perth’s departure.

"People ask why the TOMR can’t be an NRS race, [but] there’s a lot of baggage that comes with that," Ms Cotton says.

"We’ve got to close roads, get commissaires and team convoys.

"It’s a big event, and that’s a major logistical challenge."

The red tape that exists for organisers can make it a challenge, but the Tour of Margaret River has also shown that riding in the NRS isn’t the only way to get noticed ⁠— or at least get started ⁠— in Australian road cycling.

"Michael Storer, Jai Hindley, Chris Hamilton, Ben O’Connor ⁠— all these riders did good things at the TOMR," Mr Morrison says.

"Ben was doing stupid breakaways and getting caught with 5km to go wondering why the pack chased him.

"We are as big a part in their development as the NRS is ⁠— there are photos of those guys standing on the podium next to each other after a hard race day here.

"The NRS isn’t the only path to becoming a pro, this is just as effective."

Pictures: Andrew Amos

Reviving the Tour de Perth

The Tour de Perth used to be the big event in town.

Having run for a number of years, it was cut in 2016 ⁠— just as cycling in the state received a big boost thanks to the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships bringing riders from all over the globe to its Elizabeth Quay start.

It’s been a sore loss for the local community, especially for the likes of Matt and Tim Harvey who never had the chance to race in it.

"There’s the Subiaco Crit [criterium, a one-hour long race around a short circuit], the Leederville Crit, and the Peel Classic," Matt said.

"Maybe we get one other race, but those three are the big ones here in Perth, and they’re mostly crits. Perth really does miss the Tour de Perth for that slightly longer race."

AusCycling’s WA state manager Matt Poyner knows its loss best though.

He was the Race Manager for the Tour de Perth from 2013 to 2015.

"An event on the scale of the Tour de Perth is not a small undertaking," Mr Poyner says.

"The NRS calendar may have spades of space, but it’s not cheap to run an event.

"However, it’s those kinds of races that the WA cycling community have really missed out on over the last five years.

"My ambition is to reignite something for those top riders in Perth."

The good news for WA cycling fans is that a new and improved Tour de Perth is in the works.

Mr Poyner says AusCycling is “in discussions with a private promoter” to bring back the iconic race in 2023 or 2024.

It is unlikely to be as big as Adelaide’s Tour Down Under, which is classified as a professional race in UCI’s WorldTour.

The Tour de Perth's return, however, will give local riders another opportunity to hone their craft ahead of making the jump overseas.

The Tour Down Under is Australia's premier cycling race. While the Tour de Perth won't be as big, one day it might be. Picture: Andrew Amos

The Tour Down Under is Australia's premier cycling race. While the Tour de Perth won't be as big, one day it might be. Picture: Andrew Amos

Regardless, Perth still has a long way to go in developing its cycling infrastructure so more Ben O’Connor's can break out at the Tour de France.

"Cycling is very much a volunteer-based sport in Australia. It’s totally reliant on those guys getting dirt under their fingernails, setting up barricades, timing races, ordering the coffee vans and the toilets," Mr Poyner says.

“We need more purpose-built tracks for criteriums and outdoor velodromes, revamping tracks like the one down in Collie. We need to offer more options to road and track riders.

“There are 11-to-15 year olds who don’t play footy or netball, or don’t want to get up early every morning to swim, but are still super athletes.

“We want to show them that pathway to the top, where they can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ben O’Connor, and make it to the world stage after starting at a local event.”

While not 15-years-old anymore, that is the kind of future riders like the Harveys want for Perth cycling.

They don’t want to have to go overseas to get the same level of experience as their rivals ⁠— although they say the travel is nice.

There is plenty of good riding in their home state, and they want to show the world that.

“In Perth we’re so lucky where we can race,” Tim said.

"We can go up into the hills, down to Fremantle, or even to Rottnest and down south.

"It’d be so nice to have something like the Tour de Perth back for that reason."