Tour de Cure 2013 – Over $2.5mm raised, connected with over 3,000 kids!
This year’s TDC was a special experience for all the team, successful in fundraising over $2.5mm, we shared our message around Cancer prevention with over 3,000 kids and donated $5,000 each to 9 communities through our daily community diners. The team of almost 100 persons arrived safely in Canberra on Sunday May 6th and was warmly welcomed by friends and families.
Thank you for your support whether via donations, words of encouragement or interest in our journey – it was a special experience and again reminded me that Cancer is a disease that touches many but brings out the best in those that battle it.
That’s the headlines but for those who want please read on and look up this link to see the Video highlights:
Training pre tour – getting fit is critical and the months prior had us riding up to 400 km’s a week, getting legs and lungs conditioned. We do that between 5 and 7 am most week days and typically ride long on a Sunday morning – always in a peloton and always safe. Family support for so many hours on the road is key and in my case Lorna and the Girl’s know it’s a good cause and have been there for me all the way for me – thank you family.
Day 1 and our start in Adelaide – a day of anticipation that started with a 6.30 am call at the War memorial. Team and family photo’s, a big breakfast and a few background photo’s with the Sunrise Channel 7 TV program. With much anticipation we rolled out, in beautiful sunshine with more than a hint of nervousness for the 100 km ride to Victor Harbor. We were joined on bikes by Australian world champ and London 2012 track gold medal winner, Anna Meares; former Olympian, Matt Welsh; and V8 super car driver, Jonathan Webb. A Police escort out of Adelaide added to the excitement.
We arrived into Victor Harbor mid afternoon after riding past the beautiful McLaren Vale without a tasting stop – pity. And straight into a Camp Quality session with some local families while the Victor Harbor CBA branch also received a visit from some of our CBA team members.
Our community dinner at Victor Hotel was a great way to finish day one of the Tour. We heard an amazing story from guest speaker, Sebastian Terry, who shared his “100 Things” bucket list and his progress along that journey – his message to us was around goals and stretching to do what’s important to you – impressive individual.
Day 2 and a 143 km ride to Miningie – a beautiful sunrise was soon punctured by 40 km side and sometimes headwinds – “this is going to be a hard day” I thought as our bikes were being buffeted with the smaller riders finding it particularly hard going. But a 2 hour break later and tail winds took our speeds up to 40 km per hour and a change in mood – great day here we come.
Miningie is a small community but they rallied together to host many of us in their homes, to feed us at the local school and to fundraise with a community auction. This and many of the communities we reached on tour were special experiences, Miningie was a highlight and we were pleased to share a $5000 donation to the local Miningie hospital.
Day 3 and our first rainy morning with a 175 km ride to Bordertown – riding when wet is uncomfortable and this morning had its challenges. But the rains soon lifted, we dried out and had a fabulous days riding. The Sunrise team was on the community Dinner preparation so we readied the room with TDC materials and the night’s jersey presentations which are part of every evening’s event – awarded to riders who have achieved or made a particular impact on tour. The teams all work after hours on jobs, like washing cars, riders day wear (kit) and the room preparation I referred to earlier – our days are always filed from 5.30 am through to 9.30 pm.
Day 4 – Bordertown SA to Horsham VIC 165 km’s– its Monday and the schools are back so we started our day at school and visited a few more on route. School visits are a favorite for the TDC team, an opportunity to connect with the kids and to share our message “ Be Fit, Be Healthy, Be Happy” with the very enthusiastic kids. We do this through a presentation which sees us all trying to engage the kids in our message – the reception we get is one my girls would never believe.
Day 5 and Horsham for Bendigo on the Tours longest ride at 228 km – the big one started early and with measured pace. Such a distance requires lots of food and liquids, regular breaks and sharing of the work load in the front of the peloton which is called the engine room. The day had its challenges and was taxing for us all but we finally arrived safely in Bendigo and had another great community engagement dinner.
It’s worth mentioning the beauty of our S Aust, Victorian and NSW country towns, we often miss them with today’s bypass road systems but our bike route saw us travel and stay in many beautiful towns.
Day 6 was another lengthy ride of 180km from Bendigo to Benalla. The tour passed a $10mmilion fundraising milestone so the riders were decked out accordingly to celebrate – see the pink jerseys. It was also the one day we allowed our competitive spirits the opportunity to shine with a late morning 16km timed time trial (kind of like what happens in the Tour de France). So instead of riding at an average of 30 kmph our Sunrise team went out and held 41 kmph for the 16km journey. We had some gun cyclists in Steve and Mark on board and the older crew amongst us (read me, Mal Heath & Mark Beretta) held on as we rode solidly in single file formation – we found out days later that we had won the time trial which was a nice treat for the team.
Day 7 – Benalla to Albury at 140km’s – the days start was a cold one and the only escape was in the local museum, opened for our benefit from 6.30 am so we could review the Ned Kelly and period costume exhibition – seems the cold turned the riders into enthusiastic history buffs – any excuse to escape the cold. The days riding was non eventful though the school visits were a highlight as was crossing the Murray back into NSW at days end.
Day 8 Albury to Khancoban at 165km’s – the days started early at North Albury Public School with Channel 7 Sunrise cross and our Sunrise team being in school presentation duty – we performed at our best and got the message through. Our Sunrise crosses happen each morning though today’s ride included additional camera work some of it by helicopter as we passed the Hume Dam and rode its surrounds – beautiful site and the terrain was looking greener and more lush than any we had seen to date. But it was also the start of rising heights so the legs were getting challenged by the more than occasional hills.
Day 9 – Khancoban to Jindabyne riding 120km’s but climbing 3,200 metres – I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as we had ridden plenty of hills in Sydney but generally of just a 500 meter length. This one was almost 16 km’s and is known as one of the hardest climbs in Australia – from Khancoban along the Alpine Way up to Dead Horse Gap, above Thredbo, before rolling down into Thredbo and on to Jindabyne.
This was the one day we rode in smaller groups, finding our own speed and moving up without destroying the legs or the body as most of us were at peak heart rates for the almost 2 hour climb.
Getting to the top was at times a painful experience but completing the climb was worth it for the achievement and amazing views. I now have so much more appreciation for those Tour de France riders and what they do in the mountains.
Day 10 – The Final Day into Canberra was Cold – we started dressed in multi layers but nothing was good enough for the minus 6 degree 6.30 am start. My hands were in pain after just 15 minutes, especially on the downhill descents and we all were challenged by the Cold for a further hour and a half. Can you believe the water in our drinking bottles was icing up.
Fortunately the sun shone again on us and the downhill journey into Canberra warmed our spirits. 10 days away from friends and family is a long one and the excitement often riding into Canberra was one of those special moments for all.
The obligatory photo in the front of Parliament House with the Sunrise team, then to a park to meet family and friends. An evening celebration dinner and as quickly as it started the tour was all over.
Final Thoughts start with you all, for your support and interest in a cause that touches many. The Tour De Cure Board is committed to responsibly administering the tours fund raising of over $2.4mm which you have all enabled – thank you for our support and interest and yes you can still donate if interested to do so via the following link.
https://www.tourdecure.com.au/pages/donate/registration/ed6a89
Leave a message for me:
If you want you can even spread the word and post it on facebook.
