Climbs of Omeo   

The Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills' Omeo is affectionately known as the City of the Alps. Located in East Gippsland, the old gold-mining town sits on edge of the Snowy Mountains with many historic buildings remaining to this day.

Now a quiet and sleepy township of around 500 people, it was once a rugged, unruly frontier with the Omeo goldfields being regarded as the roughest in Australia. The town is still ...

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The Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills' Omeo is affectionately known as the City of the Alps. Located in East Gippsland, the old gold-mining town sits on edge of the Snowy Mountains with many historic buildings remaining to this day.

Now a quiet and sleepy township of around 500 people, it was once a rugged, unruly frontier with the Omeo goldfields being regarded as the roughest in Australia. The town is still the commercial hub for the Omeo Region and is a service centre for outlying communities with the economy more focused on sheep, cattle and timber these days.

The Climbs of Omeo route takes you through some of the most picturesque landscape in Victoria. Winding through the state’s alpine region, the major climbs of Mt. Hotham and Falls creek are both 30km in length at an average gradient of 4%. Reaching elevations of 1,861m and 1,780m respectively, they will be the two key selection points of the race in determining the eventual winner.

The 125km circuit includes two Hors catégorie climbs and although this will favour the pure climbers, they will also need to be competent on the descents to stay in contact with the lead group and contention for the victory. Ultimately however, the small climb to the finish line means it’s likely only the best climbers will be left to contest the finish at the end of the day.