AGL sponsors Victorian cycle classic

AGL Energy Limited has announced that it has taken up the inaugural major sponsorship of the Audax Alpine Classic road cycling event.

Staged annually in the picturesque surrounds of Bright in regional Victoria this non-competitive event is regarded as the toughest single-day non-competitive cycling event in Australia.

Held on Australia Day weekend each year, the event offers five distance options ranging from 70 to 200 kilometres.

More than 2,000 riders have registered for this year's event and organisers are hopeful of more than 2,400 participants on the day.

AGL's head of Merchant Energy, Jeff Dimery, said the course for the ride passed around AGL Hydro'¹s assets including the Bogong development and Mt Beauty, stating "AGL is delighted to be able to support a great event in a community which is such a vital part of our position as Australia's leading integrated renewable energy company.

"AGL prides itself on building strong relationships with the local communities in which we work and invest. With the Bogong hydroelectric power station set to open later this year, sponsoring the Audax Alpine Classic is a timely opportunity for us to reinforce our support for the local community."

The Bonjour Bright free French festival will be held in conjunction with the Classic, offering movie viewings, food, wine and a wide range of other activities for the riders' families and friends and for the local community.

AGL, which has invested over $2 billion in renewable energy sources to help secure Australia's energy future, is building the 140MW Bogong Hydro Power Station in the upper catchments of the Kiewa Valley in Victoria, 300 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.

This project will create new renewable energy from existing water resource, with minimal impact on the environment, and generate enough renewable electricity to power 122,000 homes.