Wal Smith’s famous 50 back for its 76th year

LEFT: THE late, great, Wal Smith, whose blood and cycling families keep his vision alive, with the foundation in his name. RIGHT: RIDERS will flock to Casterton this weekend for the annual Wal’s Weekend of Cycling, including a new sprint leg in the Wal Smith 50, named after another well-known local.

By Kristy McDonald

April 22, 2022 | 3:39 PM

SOME of the country’s best on two wheels will hit Casterton this weekend for the running of the 76th running of the Wal Smith Memorial Casterton 50 and Wal’s Weekend of Cycling.

The 80-kilometre Wal Smith 50 will run over a course starting in Casterton and onto Dunrobin, back to Casterton, onto Digby and return to Casterton and this year will feature three intermediate sprints and the Fred Icke Hill Climb.

The newest sprint added this year, is the Mills Family Sprint up the testing Bell’s Hill, out of Merino - a sprint which, according to race director, Gregg Housden, “could determine the outcome of the entire race”.

The Mills Family have donated the prize money for the sprint to commemorate the life of the late Allan Mills, who rode off scratch in the first ever Casterton 50, 76 years ago.

Allan was also a former president of the Casterton Cycling Club.

A further addition to the race weekend program this year, is the addition of the Junior Casterton 50 for 15 to 17-year-olds, to be raced over 20 kilometres on the Casterton/Dunrobin Circuit also on the Saturday afternoon.

An eight-kilometre, 11 to 13 years junior event will also be held as part of the Wal Smith Cycling Foundation’s push to grow the junior program.

Sunday’s program of racing kicks off with the Albion Hotel Kelpie Country Classic, to be raced on a McPherson Street, Bahgallah Rd, Casterton/Dartmoor Rd circuit.

The Casterton Traders Junior Kelpie Country Classics will also be held on the same circuit, with the finishes outside the Casterton Primary School.

The feature race on Sunday is the Victorian 100-kilometre Road Championship.

Getting underway at 10am from the Casterton Primary School, riders will travel via the saleyards to the Casterton/Portland Rd, onto Henty (Dunans Rd), Boiling Down Rd, Lower Coleraine Rd and then back onto the Casterton/Portland Rd.

Riders will complete four laps of this circuit before heading back into Casterton to finish at the Casterton Primary School.

Race Director Gregg Housden said based on previous years, the event was expected to host riders from Adelaide, Melbourne, Bendigo and Warrnambool, as well as district clubs.

“Recent, previous winners of events over the weekend have now gone on to race in Europe with some of the top professional teams,” Mr Housden said.

Wal Smith Cycling Foundation Chair, Tom Smith, acknowledged the outstanding support the race weekend had received from the Glenelg Shire Council, as well as local community groups and businesses.

“Without this support we simply would not be able to run the weekend of cycling which creates a major cash inflow to the Casterton community,” Mr Smith said.