2018 Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge- Day 2 (Nanango to Mundubbera)

Written by: Eric Staykov and David Lawrence

Daily Stats

By David “Stinky Dave” Colahan

Distance: 202 kilometres
Ride Time:  10 hours total, 7 hours riding
Ave Speed:   26.8km/hr, 64.4km/hr top speed
Elevation: 1333 m climbed
Min Temperature: 2C degrees
Max Temperature: 30C degrees

Road Kill Count

By Prof & Prof (Brian Gabrielli & Scott Baum)

• ·         22 kangaroos in various states
• ·         1 pig (possibly at baconfest)
• ·         1 echidna
• ·         2 unidentified
• ·         0 butterflies
• 
  

The road crew got us off to a blazing start with a great continental breakfast with the porridge being in great demand.  Mark and Desley Gaedtke rang the traditional 1000 year old cow bell to get us on our way at 5:59 am (according to Brooke).

After the downpour last night, the morning started out without rain but foggy and cold. As Lance Chamberlain described it, it was “a balmy 2 degrees”. Tony Messer roughed it out being the only rider without full finger gloves and Garath Thomas was heard to say “my fingers are screaming at me”.

The first stop was Kingaroy where a bacon festival was in full flight. Too much bacon is never enough. Thank you Kingaroy Lions club. Andy Shy started the day looking good in his newly acquired red shirt, but ducked off for medical treatment and is now known as “Red Raw”. We are not going to mention why – if anyone wants to know ask him.

We said farewell to Copey our police escort. Copey kept us safe for a day and a half from Springfield to Kingaroy. What a legend. We then headed on the Kingaroy rail trail. It was a mostly flat ride with many stones being flung around. Luckily our bike frames were protected with duct tape from the night before by the road crew. Big thank you to the road crew! 

Photographer Michael Fellows nearly became road kill by standing in front of the oncoming peloton.

Apparently Captain Kevvy had to pull physio student Carrol aside and explain to her what a gnome is. They are considering adding this information to the UQ curriculum. Everyone worked well slowing down single file at the chicanes then doing a sprint to catch-up to those in front, just in time to slow down for the net chicane.

After the rail trail we were attacked by the windy Roaring 40s for 40km. At one stage we pulled over the side of the road but Tony Messer kept going after everyone had stopped, going over the cattle grate and towards the cows. On his return he explained, “I was told to keep going”.

We continued on through to morning tea along the Burnett highway, the crime scene on 2017 Challenge where Berty committed a heinous crime. The road crew encountered trouble training their newest recruit Sharky, who’s been at a loss the past two days.

After morning tea, we continued on to Ban Ban Springs. There were many holes along the way. Garath Thomas disappeared down a monster pothole scoring a double flat. It looked like he was riding two Cheesles through to lunch.

We arrived at Gayndah for lunch. Many riders were exhausted after a long morning but were in high spirits after another amazing lunch put on by the road crew.

We continued on the path to Mundubbera. After only a few kns Tony (The Human Cannonball) Messer fuelled up after lunch went speeding past the peloton downhill and livened up the group. No one knows what Ben Hola said to him but it must have worked. Tony got KOM downhill and Heath Deeble got another KOM uphill after him.

There were many hills on the way to Mundubbera. Anthony Johns attacked each hill in the big chain ring for the extra challenge. No one knows why he doesn’t like his little chain ring. The Hand of God got a good workout today, with many riders being assisted uphill.

With only 15km to go, the peloton was ambushed by the 95% alleged naked Smiddy rider Habbo squirting water pistols at the peloton. Technical issues from his car stereo brought an end to this gusto, with many swear words being emitted.

Killer gave another classic under-exaggeration saying “only one more hill” just after the last water stop. After 7 hills, the peloton arrived in Mundubbera in high spirits. Bruce Frazer and Gary (Dr Koala) Leong lead the huddle reinforcing the need to ask others if they are OK.

Smiddy riders tonight are kindly and comfortably housed in luxurious rooms by the Three Rivers Tourist Park and Mundubbera Motel. Dinner entrée was pumpkin soup followed by a protein feast put on by the Mundubbera rotary club. Mikahla gave an emotional guest speech sharing her story and reasons for riding for an incredible man in her life, who she describes as a second dad.

Thank you Mikahla for being a part of Smiddy this year and we promise we will keep working to make sure people like him can have access to more “liquid gold” experimental drugs.

 The category jersey was awarded to Anthea Boyd for her long-lasting support for Smiling for Smiddy and hard work throughout the day. After a five-time Smiddy triathlete, Anthea traded her tri-suit for cycling kit and signed on for Smiddy Challenge this year. After a few choice words on the Toowoomba Training Weekend, she doubted if she could make the full trek. But Anthea, after two days on the bike, you have proved that some people break and others flourish. You, Anthea, are absolutely the latter.

The Mundubbera Rotary Club gave a very generous donation of $1000 getting the Smiddy Team over the $200,000 fundraising mark! What a way to cap off the night!

 Overall it was a great day in the saddle and ended with only 6 drops of rain.