Sport

Ultimate outback adventure Lt Lee Bowden, Capt Michael Thomas and Sgt Michael Patman admire Australia’s vast expanses during the Simpson Desert Cycle Challenge. Photo provided by Capt Michael Thomas, 1CER. By Capt Michael Thomas IN A setting best empitomised by the phrase “the middle of nowhere”, a detachment of 20 soldiers from 1CER arrived at Purni Bore SA, to compete in the annual Simpson Desert Cycle Challenge (SDCC). The Challenge is a race across the desert on mountain bikes to raise money for the Paraplegic Benefit Fund, a charitable organisation that aids those stricken with spinal disability. The start-line was a land of sand dunes, dust, heat, and flies. Flies like you have never seen before, in swarms thick enough to drive a man crazy. Some of the other competitors included Jaap Viergever, a world ranked professional cyclist and four-time winner of the annual crocodile challenge between Darwin and Cairns. And then there was Neville – 61 years old and attempting his first race, an achievement that by itself was worthy of note. The race would cover 580km in nine timed stages and take five days, finishing at the town of Birdsville, just over the border into Queensland. The nine timed stages consisted of a morning stage of about 80km, starting at 6am, then a break before an afternoon stage of about 50km. As well as being a race, the SDCC had a minimum speed requirement (total elapsed time). If caught by the sweep, riders would be transported by vehicle to the end of the stage and receive a time penalty, but being “swept” would not eliminate you from the race. Day One The first day dawned and the competitors were up at 4.30am to prepare for the race. Despite some initial confusion, the race kicked-off at 6am sharp, with a small fireworks display organised by the 1CER support crew. Jaap was gone, before the smoke had cleared and that was as close as most competitors got to him for the rest of the race. 1CER’s first casualty occurred at the 45km mark, where LCpl Tim Neve dislocated his knee in a particularly bad fall while trying to negotiate the sand. The stage was mostly flat, but the wind was brutal and three 1CER riders fell by the wayside, with a fourth, the author, beating the sweep by about 30 seconds. Day one had claimed two casualties and three riders swept from the Army team. Riders now commenced preparing for day two. In 1999 only two out of 46 riders had completed the next stage. Day Two Day two dawned after a night of torrential rain, which didn’t stop for three days. The result was a delay in the start of the morning stage and the canceling of the afternoon stage due to time constraints. Day Three Day three dawned with more rain, turning the desert into a quagmire. The riders were left to push through the mud and puddles, up to six inches deep in places. Spr Cunnington stepped back into the saddle to continue the race after overcoming the injury he had suffered on the first day. Crashes were the order of the day, with almost every rider coming off at least once. Day Four The first 47km were hell, with many riders finding this the hardest stage of the race. But once they hit the Birdsville track there was no looking back. Only two Army riders were swept during the morning stage, which was a good result considering the conditions. For many, stage two of day four represented the end of the race, as no one wanted to get swept on the last morning. The Final Day The final day dawned and the riders set out for what was to be the final stage. The group rode the first 40km as a whole, allowing riders to mingle and meet their fellow competitors. Generally, the field was so spread out that riders spent the whole five days riding with and against the same three or four people, so this was the first opportunity for many to meet. Of the 30 riders who started, 18 finished every stage of the race. From the Army team of 11, six went the distance. The successful finishers were Spr David Reed, LCpl Wayne Cook, Spr Stuart Rokahrm, Capt Michael Thomas, Sgt Michael Patman and Lt Lee Bowden. Jaap Vieger won the race of course, but the real winner was the charity. 1CER raised $13,000 dollars for the ride.