About the RFSK Valley to Valley Tour
The course will see the team ride south down to the beautiful Second Valley to start our Valley to Valley 7-day ride. The team will then ride to the Barossa Valley on day two where they will stay for two nights, with day three being an out and back loop from the Barossa Valley. Day four will see the team continue heading north to the Clare Valley. A two-night stay in the Clare Valley will allow for another out and back loop. With only two more days to ride, day six will have the team riding south towards Adelaide and a final stop at Mawson Lakes with a celebration to allow family and friends to join the team for dinner. The final day will be a flat roll down to the Adelaide beaches before arriving at the finish line in North Adelaide as we complete the 2023 Valley to Valley Ride for Sick Kids.
STAGE 1: Sunday 26 March 2023: ADELAIDE TO SECOND VALLEY (112.8km’s – 1,330m)
Departing from Ronald McDonald House Adelaide we will ride as a bunch for most of the day. But there are a few challenging climbs along the way where everyone will be encouraged to ride their own pace, before we re-group and continue the ride together.
We will arrive in Second Valley, the first valley of our Valley to Valley ride, and enjoy the views across the water from the golden sands of Second Valley Beach. There is a short ride to the accommodation where we enjoy dinner before heading off to bed to rest those legs for day two!
STAGE 2: Monday 27 March 2023: SECOND VALLEY TO BAROSSA (177.6km’s – 2,068m)
Today we will visit our first school to share with the school community the wonderful work done by Ronald McDonald House Adelaide in supporting families with sick kids.
The ride will see us make our way north to the Barossa Valley. We will be riding up and down all day with very few flat roads along the way so thankfully it comes early in the week.
When we arrive in the Barossa Valley, we will be saying goodbye to some of our riders who have joined us for 2 days. There will be some tired legs tonight and with the longest day ahead tomorrow most will be in bed not long after dinner.
STAGE 3: Tuesday 28 March 2023: BAROSSA VALLEY LOOP (204.6km’s – 1,815m)
Today we will be joined by some 1-day riders who have driven out to the Barossa Valley to join us for the longest ride of the week.
We will get away nice and early to ensure we allow plenty of time to get around the lumpy course.
The course will see the riders heading east towards the mighty Murray River. The 10km climb out of Sedan will be a challenge after already completing 152km’s that day and two solid days prior.
But if you’ve followed the training progam in the lead up to the ride you will conquer this climb. The Barossa Valley will be a welcome sight as we roll into the finish. Early to bed tonigh in the same hotel.
STAGE 4: Wednesday 29 March 2023: BAROSSA VALLEY TO CLARE VALLEY (205.6km’s – 1,822m)
After one of our longest days, the team will depart one valley and head north to another, the Clare Valley.
We will visit another school today to share with the school community the wonderful work done by Ronald McDonald House Adelaide in supporting families with sick kids.
We will also have some fun just after departing Nuriootpa with our annual Team Time Trial. Which team will have bragging rights at dinner?
STAGE 5: Thursday 30 March 2023: CLARE VALLEY LOOP (158.3km’s – 1,154m)
The out and back loop from the Clare Valley will have the team riding on new roads that we haven’t used over the 9 years of this event. With rolling hills, it will be another long day in the saddle, but you’ll have an amazing support crew and an awesome bunch of riders to help you through to the finish.
The good news is that we are back in the same accommodation tonight and mostly flat roads for the final two days.
STAGE 6: Friday 31 March 2023: CLARE VALLEY TO MAWSON LAKES (142.6km’s – 352m)
A shorter and flatter day will be welcomed by many as we depart the Clare Valley to start making our way back to Adelaide.
Following a short climb out of Clare the team will enjoy a 7km descent before the left turn towards Balaklava. The rest of the day is relatively flat which will be a change from the previous five days.
Family and friends will be invited to join the team for our final team dinner before the final ride into Adelaide the following day.
STAGE 7: Saturday 1 April 2022: MAWSON LAKES TO ADELAIDE (72.2km’s – 321m)
The final day is our easiest of the week to allow everyone to really enjoy the final day on the bikes together. The team will stop for morning tea at McDonald’s Camden Park where we will depart just in time to arrive at our scheduled arrival time at the finish line in North Adelaide. There will be a huge welcoming party to celebrate the team achieving this extraordinary ride of 1,000kms in just 7 days.
