Sharky's Blog: Midi a long weekend to remember!
The 2011 edition of the Bottlemart Midi-Smiddy was a complete contrast from the inaugural 2010 event.
The 50-strong peloton was hit with two late withdrawals which saw 48 toe the start line at The University of Queensland on Friday 28 May for the three-day, 580 kilometre tour. This year’s field consisted of 41 male and seven female riders, and we were well looked after by 11 enthusiastic road crew members.
A late inclusion in the start list was Tim Russell, who was invited to attend the Midi-Smiddy just one day before the ride began! Tim helps out behind the scenes with Smiling for Smiddy and is fundraising as part of his participation in this year’s 8-day Bottlemart Smiddy Challenge in September. The prospect of riding Midi-Smiddy was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up; so he jumped at the chance and completed the entire ride without worry. Not bad for our youngest competitor at just 21 years of age.
Day one a real eye opener
The first day’s stage on Friday was a whopping 210 kilometres. For Craig Smoothy and Aaron McKenzie they by-passed an early lift into the University for 30 minutes extra sleep, which meant they had to ride an extra 10kms to the start line. Day one is a tough day in that at times you have some easy rolling terrain where the legs are ticking over nicely, but then there are sections where the hills just keep on coming, and coming and coming, until you a pretty well physically spent and mentally over them, only to be faced by the mother of all climbs after close to 200kms of riding.That final climb is called Flagstone Creek and it is the traffic free way of getting up to Toowoomba, which sits at 740 metres above sea level. The only problem with this traffic free route is that it kicks up to 18% gradient for a large part of the three kilometre tortuous climb. The group stopped at the base for a quick safety brief and to let anyone brave enough to head off first that wished to race to the top. By the time the last of the riders made the summit we were close to an hour behind schedule and darkness had descended upon the group. The last five kilometres Toowoomba welcomed the riders into town by dropping the mercury to below 10 degrees and reminding us that once the sun goes down the cooler temperatures are quick to follow. The Southern Hotel welcomed the riders and road crew with a few beers and hot food platters. In the rush of arriving late we committed the biggest taboo of any Smiddy ride when we failed to finish with a Smiddy huddle.
The Smiddy Huddle
The huddle is an important part of the entire bonding experience of the riders and road crew. We often talk of the Smiddy spirit and how it somehow infects the entire group and helps to bring us all together like one big family. I fell asleep that night feeling like I had not only let my mate Adam Smiddy down, but the rest of the riders and road crew as well. To get to sleep I promised to make amends the following day in Warwick but still it was a troubled sleep.Day one shock
The big man Rowan Foster, instrumental in getting each and every Smiddy event off the ground, as well as riding each event and helping to infect everyone with his own caring spirit, needed the bunch today more than they would ever know. At the first break of the day Rowan received tragic news that one of his close friends had passed away that very day. In true typical Foster style he said nothing to anyone but me and continued to pat riders on the back, tell them they were doing a great job, injecting them with his enthusiasm and warming them with his infectious smile. All the while he was deeply hurting inside. My heart went out to him and my admiration to a level previously unheard of.Day two was an armchair ride
After the punishing day yesterday the group was rewarded with a real bottler of a day for our second day on the road. Yesterday’s tough 210kms was left behind by flatter and more welcoming terrain over a stage distance of 160kms. Our 6.30am departure time from Toowoomba was bumped back 20 minutes while Toowoomba lads Aaron Mckenzie and Craig Smoothy were interviewed by WIN TV for the local 6pm news. The boys were chuffed with their first television exposure and were heard throughout the peloton to be selling their autographs for $15 a piece. Both lads had trouble getting their enlarged heads into their helmets that morning!Toowoomba’s temperature that morning was a kind eight degrees, although the further west we went towards Pittsworth it felt like it dropped to below five degrees through the valleys. By the time we arrived in Pittsworth at the Bottlemart Hotel at 9am for morning tea the sunny clear conditions had warmed the air to a beautiful 14 degrees. A huge thank you to the proprietor Michael Carpenter for preparing such a wonderful morning tea of fresh sandwiches, platters of fruit and deliciously mouth watering mini muffins fresh from the oven. After a photo with Michael and three cheers the group were on their way to the lunch time stop in Clifton.
O’Shanley’s Irish Pub is home to the world’s greatest 120 year old family recipe of Irish Stew. Like last year the O’Shanley’s clan went out of their way to not only feed us this taste sensation but warmed us with their friendly country hospitality and their generosity in donating money back to the cause. Thank you Ruby for looking after us with Kathleen away on vacation.
The final run into Warwick
Road crew member Anna Pozzi joined the peloton for an 80km stretch from Pittsworth to 20kms outside Warwick. Anna was meant to ride the entire Challenge but fitness forced a move to road crew duties and light riding on day two. Thank you to Peter Knight, fellow road crew member who cycled alongside Anna for the entire 80kms and got her feeling comfortable within the bunch. The group made good time today to finish in Warwick by 3pm where we celebrated with a few beers in the park and an extra special Smiddy huddle. Getting in early meant the group got to relax and put their feet up prior to a great feed and entertainment with a team dinner at the Warwick Senior Citizen’s Hall.Day three and the return of nothing but hills thrills and unfortunately spills!
Horse and Jockey proprietors Gary and Jo Lawrence sent the riders on their way with the ring of the cow bell and a generous $1000 donation, which was warmly cheered by the Smiddy team. Jo and Gary have looked after the Smiddy riders going on three years now and their support for Smiddy is heartfelt and thoughtful as they understand what we are trying to achieve. A huge thanks to this beautiful, hard working couple and thank you for such an amazing hot breakfast at five in the morning. Once again we were fortunate with the mild 8 degree weather when we rolled out of Warwick a touch after 6am. Past tours have seen us leave in drenching rain or zero degree temperatures. With 215 kilometres of riding to get home and shorter winter days upon us Rowan geed up the group prior to leaving about trying to get ahead of schedule with a favourable 35km opening section into Killarney. The riders responded well but maybe a little too eagerly, as by half way to Killarney we needed to draw the reigns in as some of the riders were feeling the pinch with over 200kms of riding still in front of them.The climb up to Carr’s lookout and ‘The Head’
A quick toilet stop in Killarney and the group rode together for a further five kilometres to the base of the climb up to Carr’s lookout. From here we had a safety brief about traversing the uphill cattle grids and everyone was allowed to go at their own pace to Carr’s Lookout which was approximately a 14km climb. A few riders opted to get a lift in the support cars, which was appreciated by the group as this meant only a short five minute wait at Carr’s to regroup and avoid the cold. The group was warned about the next section - a technical and steep 3km descent that has seen many a rider come undone due high speeds. Off that first descent you scoot along the Head Rd for 10kms – a magnificent undulating road where you feel in absolute isolation from the world below – until we met the road crew for a most welcome morning tea.Adam Walker crashes out of Midi Smiddy
The descent down ‘The Head’ after morning tea presents four dangerous kilometres marked by switchbacks, a rough road surface and an 18% gradient in places. Going down this is best done with caution! Unfortunately for Adam Walker; getting his big strong 110kg frame down this beast was not a successful journey. The big fella was descending ahead of me and appeared to be doing okay but then came a killer switchback. I was back of Adam by 75 metres and as he disappeared around the corner I was unaware that he had ditched it, as just a few seconds later when I turned that same corner Adam was off and standing by his bike. I thought nothing of it and carried on as he was up and looked OK. At the regroup point Adam turned up in one of the road crew vehicles; ably looked after by our medic Anna Pozzi. It was more serious than thought and I was told that he had possibly broken his collarbone or separated his AC ligaments. A trip to the hospital confirmed the latter; the injury sees him off work for up to four weeks and a long rehabilitation. All the rider’s hearts went out to the big man as we all know how hard he worked to get himself in shape for this event and fundraise. Time will tell if Adam returns next year to finish what he started or it scares him from returning. We certainly hope he will be back and wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.Let’s get home as fast as we can!
Last year in the Midi Smiddy we were dealt with terrible weather, this year lady luck was on our side and with 12 less riders than 2010 this peloton was on a mission to get home as quickly as possible. From the bottom of Queen Mary Falls all the way back into Brisbane there are plenty of short, sharp and sometimes long climbs that keep on coming at you for the remaining 120 kilometres. But on our side was a tailwind and a group of very determined riders. I cannot fully put into words the effort that the Smiddy riders put in to get home to Adam Smiddy Park a full hour quicker than 2010, finish just after 4.30pm. The pace was quick but not one person put their hand up to say so, they all just sucked it up and got on with the job. The third day saw the group come together like the well oiled machine that every Smiddy peloton has the potential to become. We arrived so early that the majority of the spectators that had intended to come had not yet arrived.The final Smiddy huddle
By the time we assembled for the final Smiddy huddle most loved ones and supporters had arrived and were welcomed into the enormous huddle that stretched the entirety of Adam Smiddy Park. 120 people stood arm in arm in a warm embracing circle and the past three days were remembered and celebrated with recognition of a job well done by the road crew, by the riders and by all the supporters. Importantly we acknowledged Adam Smiddy and all those within the Smiddy huddle who had suffered loss through the devastating disease that is cancer.Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Our road crew in Kevin Enchelmaier, Shane Craig, Jimmy Acomb, Maria Smiddy, Chris Geeves, Christian Killeen, Anna Pozzi, Peter and Rebecca Knight, Wybrand De-Toit and John Cleeton. Without their support this event would not be possible.
A special mention to Lesley, Don and Rachael Richardson; who originally came to support their son Brad who was riding, but over those three days poured their heart and souls into helping out at every opportunity.
Thank you to all the contributions of home cooking that always goes down a treat with the team when on the road. Especially to David Lynch’s beautiful wife and to Lesley Richardson. My apologies if I left anyone out.
The Smiddy riders for all your hard work not only in training but for your magnificent efforts in your fundraising goals, not to mention your patience and talent out there during those three hard days in the saddle.
To all our donors who supported their chosen rider. Without you guys we would be unable to make such a significant contribution to cancer research.
As the dust settles on the second Bottlemart Midi-Smiddy the team is closing in on $100,000 raised. A great result! Thank you to everyone that has been part of this event and I look forward to seeing you all once again at one of our Smiddy events in the future.
Take care.
Sharky
