Written by Mark “Sharky”
Smoothy and Cath McDonald
Daily Stats
By David “Stinky Dave” Colahan
Distance: 202
kilometres
Ride Time: 10:48 hours total, 8:26 hours riding
Ave Speed: 23.9 km/hr
Elevation: 2009 m
climbed
Min Temperature: 11C
degrees
Max Temperature: 34C
degrees
Guest Blogger: Cath McDonald
The amazing
breakfast this morning was provided by the Rotary Club of Mundubbera at the
Three Rivers Tourist Park. It was much appreciated by riders and road crew who
were able to take advantage of a bit of a sleep in!
The fresh mandarin
juice was something special thanks to Sherrie and Andrew (and something we look
forward to all year). The peloton were quickly off (nearly on time) with
Sherrie doing the honour of ringing the cowbell.
The Road Crew weren’t
far behind but had to wait ten minutes for the Bakery to open to have their
kick start coffee. We pulled into Monto with a storm brewing and one mum
waiting near the benches. Then with the storm arrived a spread only country
people can come up with!
As it poured down
the riders arrived (escorted by the police) cold and wet to a warm welcome and
a scrumptious morning tea. Kevvy presented Monto State School, Ayla, with gifts
courtesy of Road Crew Member Andy Loney and in return, Ayla presented the funds
raised by her school to Smiling for Smiddy from their “come as you like day”.
Excited Monto State
School pupils, Hector, Josh, Sarah, Ben, Emil and Cody, then led the peloton
out of morning tea. For three of these champions, this was their first time on
the road riding their bikes so needless to say, they were excited.
Quickly after, the
road crew headed to the lunch stop of the day, Gravealla Creek, where it was a
race against the weather. When the weather arrived, it took six stellar road
crew to hold down the marquee without taking off like Mary Poppins!
Hungry riders
rolled in not only to Road Crew- provided lunch but also a heap of sweets
courtesy of Monto State School. Not only was it a smorgasbord of food but also
a smorgasbord of body parts (courtesy of three riders).
All creamed up,
they took off for Biloela where we found all of our billets waiting for us.
The Smiddy theme
of mateship, spirit and teamwork really came to the fore today for all the
riders getting everyone in safe and sound today.
The day reminded
me of the iconic song from Crowded House: “4 Seasons in One Day”.
But the best thing
of the Smiddy ride is to have broken the drought!
Shark Road Crew Rookie:
Twelve years of riding to Townsville has cured me of
my illness of wanting to always ride to Townsville! With the miracle of this
cure comes the realization that I can actually get there in a plane in two and
a bit hours, or drive there with some really fun loving and caring people over
a nine day period. I decided to try option two and I am pretty happy that I
did. I became part of the road crew. Day one I was put into a police car with a
young gentleman called Brenton ‘Brucey’ Cope. Police officer by day, Smiddy
supporter for life. If he isn’t riding he is volunteering for the Smiddy
Challenge. Hence the ride with Copey as he protected the peloton with his
flashing lights, and his polite commands over the two way radio. What a way to
start my first day as part of the fluro army, the esteemed road crew. I could
not have been happier.
Day two for me Copey had to go back to the real
working world, while I was then placed with Captain Kevvy, who, for 12 years
sat behind and watched my skinny arse. Only after sitting with him for a day
and watching all the other skinny arses in the peloton -none as skinny as mine-
did the realization come that what Kevvy does is indeed astounding! Another
great day spent learning my new role as Rookie Smiddy Road Crew Member.
Day three and Habo from Biloela joins the riders for
one day and I get to drive his stinky 4WD from Mundubberra to Biloela and
listen to the most depressing music he had playing on his discs. I tried to
turn it off but he had it locked on as a means of torturing me on day three of
my reading in period of being a rookie. Meanwhile he enjoyed getting soaking
wet and being cold and miserable over a 200 km period on the bike.
So here I was on day three of the 13th edition of the
annual Smiling for Smiddy Challenge bike ride from Brisbane to Townsville.
Today the riders took on their third 200 km ride in successive days. Legs,
necks, lower back and butts were feeling the stress of two previous eight-hour
days in the saddle. Today they had not just the distance to contend with, but
Mother Nature was in a pissed off mood! She threw everything at them in an attempt
to crack their spirit, their will and their physical ability to finish a bloody
tough day. But Mother Nature should know by now it just gets the Smiddy rider’s
blood boiling. They dig in their heels in and refuse to surrender and all
thoughts turn to finishing at all costs. Along the way the stronger of the
group weave their protective Smiddy cocoon around those riders that are
weakening. Protecting their fellow Smiddy mates becomes an even greater
priority.
Rolling out of Mundubbera this morning at 6:00am they
were in good spirits, a little jaded from the previous 400 km in their legs,
but with determination to get another day done and dusted. The talk in the
peloton over the past two days was of the community support and function at
Biloela and Thangool. They had all heard the stories, the old riders know how
special the night is, the new riders get told how special the night is. That
surely fueled the rider group to soldier on when the heavens today unleashed
their fury with storms wet enough to reflate Noah’s Ark, if only they could
find the bloody thing. Winds strong enough to fly a kite with 17 Smiddy riders
attached to the other end. And with the wet and windy conditions came the
chattering teeth and full body vibrations, which the road crew were privy to
witness as the riders rolled into morning tea after over 100 tough kilometres
in the saddle.
On behalf of the the road crew, I would like to thank
Mother Nature and her brutality today, because the Monto State School P &
C, who met us in the local Monto Park, made so much homemade sandwiches and
slices, that even after each rider had finished devouring their share of the
bounty, which left them all feeling like Japanese Sumo Wrestlers, there was
still enough leftover food to feed everyone tonight at the Biloela/Thangool
function!
Special mention to Geoff Ney, who today took a spill
in the wet conditions at the 93 km point, got a ride back to Monto with Kevvy,
got patched up by the local ambulance, then left with the rider group and won
the King of the Mountain up the Monto Range after morning tea.
The riders were advised that the last of the rain had
abated and it would be plain sailing into lunch. The riders left with half a
dozen little people from the Monto State School as their escort riders. A real
buzz for the little ones to ride in front of their Smiddy hero’s. I caught
sight of one young fella making a break on his BMX bike, he looked back,
laughed out loud as he dropped the Smiddy peloton! One Smiddy rider was so
embarrassed to be dropped by someone 30 years younger that he threw himself off
the bike; Big Andrew Schy took a tumble, picked himself up, hung his head and
carried on as if nothing had happened.
As soon as the kids and riders were out of sight, the
road crew packed up -they are very good at unpacking and packing- fast too. We
quickly caught the peloton before they made the base of the Monto Range, which
for the new riders had a surprise in store with its two false tops. Road crew
zoomed past and headed for the bush lunch stop 48 km down the road. It was here
that a ferocious wind storm descended upon the crew, who had set up the huge
Smiddy marquee and it required all hands on deck to hold the bloody thing down
or be whisked away to the heavens, possibly never to return. As quickly as it
appeared, it dissipated and the road crew went back to doing a few push-ups and
sit-ups to idle away the time.
One thing I noticed with the crew is they take their
job seriously. To be a good road crew person requires good fitness. Wendy had
us doing drills. Step ups, jogging on the spot, dips, lifting small trucks as a
team and a quick 5 km time trial run. Which was won by Mark Berty Bertwhistle,
which surprised me as I thought Michelle had it. Anyway, only after that were
we allowed to have some lunch, just before the peloton rolled in, eager to
share more war stories of more rain, more wind, sore muscles and hungry
tummies! Always hungry tummies!
After the riders left the road crew got packing, boy
they can pack. I couldn’t keep up. I thought I was fit but that session Wendy
put us through left me feeling flat, while the crew just simply sucked it up
and got the job done. I’m still very much a rookie and one day when I earn my
stripes and can hold my head high, I want to be just as good as them. For now I
did what I could, always look around at my fellow road crew in awe.
The rush was on to get into Biloela where we could do
lots more of that unpacking thing. It all seems a little silly the packing and
unpacking. Be easier just to leave it all in the truck for nine days and just
unpack it once in Townsville. But I guess the riders need their toothbrushes?
Anyway we pass the rider group and man they are
getting battered by a wind that was not a tailwind. The other type, the one
that makes you swear under your breath, or if you are Habo he swears out loud
and doesn’t care who is in earshot. I reckon he would have been swearing the
most today, being a one day rider, cracking, while the others, who have ridden
for three days, just sucked it up.
So the unpacking is done once again, I even tried my
hand at it, made a few mistake but was just getting the gist of it when all the
lovely community homestay hosts started arriving at Melton Park. Of course I
had to stop the unpacking and go and greet all these fine people.
While this exciting road crew action was going on in
Melton Park, the rider group were engaged in the world famous, I’m The King Of
The Toad Cup. Ferocious headwinds made the going super tough on legs that were
shattered from riding 600 kilometres already. Except of course Habo, who
admitted to me in the unpacking Park of Melton, that he hid all day in the
peloton, securing shelter from the other riders, and rested as much as
possible, and oh, did I mention he had only ridden one day, as in was just a
Day rider? All in an attempt to save himself to become King of The Toady Road.
I had to wait until the riders rolled into the park,
then unloaded on the traditional Smiddy emotional hugs, backslaps and a few
kisses, mainly from Kevvy, then the beautiful huddle ceremony unfolded with
Anthony Johns and Brocky Yates speaking with heartfelt emotion with a touch of
humour, before being able to find out who won the bloody squashed toad on the
road cup! Ben informed me it came down to himself, Habo and past winner in
Kenny ‘Ken Doll’ Woods. Habo led out in his quest for Toad glory, but it was
never going to happen with Ben on his wheel leading a fresh Kenny on his wheel.
In the end Ben became the lead out man for Ken Doll, who scooted past in the
final meters to become the Squashed Toad Winner, for I think the fourth time.
Meanwhile in the Queen of the Toad of the road race,
Lisa ride strongly to do a lead out for eventual winner in Leonie Killeen.
That’s it from Shark Road Crew Rookie. Hopefully I
make it all the way to townsville without getting sacked! Thanks for having me,
you guys rock, the riders are as usual amazing and I am in awe of the lot of
you.
Cheers,
Sharky and special guest bloggers in Cath and Mick
McDonald.
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