Kelly Cycle Coaching masters rider Steve Tippett, recently rode from Sydney to Melbourne to race funds for cancer research.  Fantastic effort Steve to complete the 900km without a day off. Read below to find out how his adventure unfolded.

How many days was the Sydney to Melbourne ride?  Was it a charity event? Rotary?

We scheduled the ride over 6 days raising money through the Altona City Rotary club. The proceeds were divided into the following charities

• Bowel Cancer research
• Ovarian Cancer research
• Prostate Cancer research
• Altona City Rotary Club local projects

How many riders participated?

There was a total of four riders

How many km’s was this event in total?  And approx. how many km’s per day were you riding?

We rode approximately 900km during the event. The average day was 150km with the longest Goulburn to Gundagai being 190km

Steve with other riders and supporters

Did you have a rest day at all?

No rest day

How was the event organised?  Stay in tents, motels?  Did they organise food for you?

The event was organised by Volunteers who are members of the Altona City Rotary Club. The organised all accommodation which was cabins at caravan parks. Five of the nights local rotary clubs on route provided dinner for us. During the ride the volunteers made sandwiches and rolls for lunch. Various organisations donated muesli bars, gels, water, electrolyte drinks etc

How long have you been riding (in general terms) and when did you start getting coached by KCC?

I have been road bike riding for approximately 2.5 years and started being coached by KCC in November 2012

Have you noticed any changes in your riding since you’ve started getting a cycling program?

I am definitely stronger, more efficient and more motivated. I found the main difference is my consistency of training has improved immensely and this correlates directly into improved performance and recovery. I really enjoy hill climbing and now find the steepest gradients are more achievable for me. In the 3 months from November to February I was able to improve my climbing time up Mt Baw Baw by 30%.

Are you more comfortable on a bike now?

I have always been comfortable on the bike in terms of handling due to growing up in Warrandyte and doing lots of recreational mountain bike riding however the bike setup and general fitness improvements as a result of coaching by KCC made the event much more comfortable, enjoyable and attainable

I believe you suffer from Cystic Fibrosis?  What does this mean to someone who hasn’t heard of this and how do manage this on the bike with your training, etc?

Cystic Fibrosis is a complicated condition which affects many different parts of the body including the lungs and digestive system. Cycling is an excellent form of exercise to ensure my lungs stay clear and free of excessive mucus. Staying active and motivated through cycling forms part of an effective treatment plan. Normal digestion is also an issue for CF suffers with the majority requiring enzyme supplements to be taken orally with food. I take capsules with me on rides in a small tri bag on the front of the bike. It becomes second nature to consume these when eating. Salt loss is also a major concern leading to dehydration and related problems. During long and or hot rides I also take salt tablets to replace what is lost through exercise.

What was the toughest part of the ride?  (sore bum ha ha??)

The toughest part of the ride was definitely backing up riding day after day in the cold, early mornings.  Once I was warmed up and riding it was fantastic watching the sun rise and the day begin without the stress of day to day issues. After the 4^th day the saddle region did start to become a little bit sore and this was probably the most painful body part after the ride. The weather was amazing with not even a drop of rain.

Congratulations in completing this ride Steve.  A great achievement and a sense of accomplishment.

Victorian Team Time Trials

Three Kelly Cycle Coaching athletes, Liz Hall, Ben Andrews and Angus Lyons, scored podium places in the Victorian Teams Time Trial Championships last weekend.  Racing in the junior 17 and junior 19 divisions, Ben and Angus were members of medal winning teams, whilst Liz Hall scored gold in the Masters category.

The Time Trial championships were raced over an undulating 50 kilometre course from Buninyong to Mt Mercer and return. Although there were no long ascents, the course comprised a series of sharp rises and descents, calling for power cycling from the contestants.  Conducted by the Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club, the events were raced on a cloudy, cold July morning.

Nine Victorian teams contested the junior 17 division. In addition, the well-performed South Australian state team journeyed from Adelaide for the contest.  The South Australians – Rohan Wight, Peter Pedler and Thomas Allford – were the first team to ride off for the 50 kilometre race against the clock.

Along with his Carnegie-Caulfied team-mates, Caiden Hull and James Tickner, Ben Andrews was the last trio away for the event.  With a strong tail wind, the CCCC squad scorched through the first 25 kilometres in 30 minutes to gain almost 2 minutes on the South Australians by the turn around. On the descents, the CCCC trio was topping 80 kph in junior gearing!  The Victorians held their formation in the difficult slog back into the strong wind to score the gold medals.

In the junior 19 division, Angus Lyons backed up from a tough day in the saddle in the Melbourne to Ballarat road race in which he had finished a very credible 47th place as a junior.  Together with his Ballarat Sebastopol team mates, Josh Liston, William Key and Lochie Callum, Angus rode a strong Time Trial to finish second to the Carnegie Caulfield squad.

Liz Hall also competed in the Women’s Masters division, riding with her Hawthorn Cycling Club team mates, Megan Marsh and Rae Lesniowska.

Liz arrived back in Melbourne two days before the race after spending a month in Europe following the TDF and fitting in a bit of training on some of the famous French Cols including Col du Galibier, Col de la Croix de Fer and Alpe d’Huez.  Whilst the perfect riding conditions in Europe enabled some hill climb training, it provided little preparation for the brutally cold and windy conditions of the day in Buninyong.

Like the juniors, the women found the ‘out’ leg of the race fast and exhilarating.  However, the return leg required dogged determination to maintain sufficient speed to rein in the other teams.  That determination was rewarded with Liz and her team mates taking the gold medal.