HORSHAM cyclists Sam Witmitz and Mark O'Brien will compete in the Herald Sun Tour this week.
The tour, from Thursday to Monday, is Australia's oldest stage race and will see 108 riders race from Williamstown to Arthurs Seat.
The race, close to 400 kilometres, attracts international attention with teams travelling from New Zealand and Great Britain to compete.
The pair will team up with rising South Australian rider Alex Edmondson, Victorian Zak Dempster and South Australian cyclist Andrew Roe in the SASI Cycling-Feelgood Fitness team.
Witmitz and O'Brien have been training heavily for the event, including a 200-kilometre ride around the Grampians on Wednesday.
Witmitz said it was good to see two Horsham cyclists riding together for the tour.
Both will compete at the Cycling Australia National Road Championships between January 9 and 13 before heading to the United Kingdom as part of Team Raleigh.
They will race alongside English, Scottish, Canadian, French and New Zealand cyclists, including former British National Circuit Race champion Graham Briggs.
The team will undertake a training camp at Mallorca, Spain before competing in Raleigh's first race of the season in early February.
See page 30 for more on Witmitz and O'Brien's achievements in 2012.
