Day 7 - The Final Leg Strathalbyn to Adelaide 56kms

Weather - Cold but currently no rain.

Late start this morning, riders were able to have breakfast in their rooms and relax before their last trek of the ride.

A couple of riders were riding with hangovers but no need to mention any names, they know who they are.....

Due to the narrow and winding roads, the support crew vehicles were not required as the riders would have to ride single file until arrival at Stirling for morning tea at 11.30am. Good to see Jonny Silcock back to join the riders for the last leg. It also happens to be his birthday today so Happy Birthday Jonny!

As the riders left the Strath Hotel, the support crew were packing up and checking the rooms for the last time. All that the support crew had left to do was get to the Stirling Pub before the riders and order their coffees!!!!

Strange feeling to know the journey was coming to the end. I know everyone was looking forward to seeing their families and friends at lunchtime.

For the first time of the trip, the riders were late, they had more punctures and flat tyres in the leg to Stirling than they have had the whole trip. Typical isn't it when you don't have the support crew their with all the relevant parts.

As all the riders headed off from Stirling the support crew headed to their cars for the ride to the MIND office at Greenhill Road. We hadn't even gotten out of the car park when Troy Bryant returned to get a new tyre as a rider already got a flat tyre.

Support crew arrived at MIND around 12pm to see the MIND team cooking up a storm with many friends and family gathered awaiting the riders arrival. What a fantasic turnout for the guys.

By 1pm everyone was getting worried, they should be here by now? So Claudio got in his car to go and check where they were. Not 2 minutes after he left, the crowd starting yelling as in the distance the blue and green boys were seen heading down Greenhill Road. Well the crowd erupted and clapped as the boys arrived at the finish line at MIND. All smiles now from the riders now that the journey has been completed.

Dorothy Bel Perio from MIND along with Alf got up to say a few words about the achievement accomplished by all involved.

A big thank you to all involved in the MIND Ride To Recovery

The Riders
The Support Crew
Friends & Family
MIND
The Sponsors and everyone who contributed towards the event, it wouldn't have happened without all your generous support and time.

Thanks to the Team at MIND for holding the BBQ today for all the family and their friends who were there to celebrate with the team. Great Work!

Day 6 - Salt Creek to Strathalbyn 156 kms

Weather Drizzly Rain, Favourable Winds

Riders headed out of Salt Creek at 7.15am for the 60km ride to Meningie. One mishap on this leg, Alf had a puncture.

At least the rain minimal this morning. The riders haven't been able to show the full effect of their kits (outfits) as with the cold weather they have all been wearing their raincoats. When the raincoats come off, they look fantastic

A comment overheard from the riders "The one thing we are finding hard to escape from is the wind, it is everywhere we go".

On leaving Meningie with not much to report from the first leg of the day, Anthony DeConno decides to fall off his bike even before they head off to the ferry ride at Wellington. Well done Anthony, that is 2 stacks and you were stationery both times!!

Next 30km journey through the Coorong winds swirly. One minute the wind behind them, then on the side of them. So far the issues the riders have of the trip is the wind and the numerous amount of caravans on the road and the fact that they are finding it hard to keep warm. One rider (Cam) has resorted to gladwrapping his socks to assist keeping his feet warm and dry.

Road quite flat and speed increased.

Injury has occurrred - Not with a rider but with the support crew! Wendy managed to slam her hand in the car door on arrival at Welllington while unpacking for lunch. We had to get the Doc to look at her and when he arrived. Fingers wer put in a splint and a sling as well. Lucky that she got injured later on in the event rather than the beginning as I am sure the other support crew would have sent her home!! Hope those fingers heal real soon Wendy.

Sue dropped a full esky on her foot (food not drink) but luckily only a minor injury and soldiered on.

A few riders still icing minor injuries at each stop to get them through the day.

Here are some stats from the ride to date:-

1000kms in 6 days
Maximum altitude reached 310 meters
Maximum Speed km per hour 74.27
40 hours riding - Average kms 25
Total Climbing 5177 meters

Afternnon tea was at Langhorne Creek. Riders said that leg was hard work. Strong head winds not a fun part of the ride at all. Weather overcast as well.

Comment overheard "We are getting better treatment by the support crew than we get from our wives at home" No names to be mentioned...... don't want to get anyone in trouble!

Riders arrived at Strath Motel at 4.00pm. Massages commenced at 4.30pm with 20 minutes sessions much to the riders relief. They hadn't recieved a massage for two days and only ice baths. Gee did they love those ice baths. Ice baths didn't even come in to the equation today.

Team had dinner in town at Cafe Ruffino before heading off to the pub for a few relaxing ale's to end the evening and the journey with only 70kms to go until the arrival back in Adelaide.

All involved were asked to sum up the weeks trip in one word!  Here were there responses:-

Mim - Incredible, thanks
Steve - Privelege
Paul - Gel
Rob - Comararderie, lifetime experience
David J - Achievement
Mark - Great experience with a great bunch of guys (and gals)
Ange - Jonny's got a f(l)at
Troy - Supportive
Roger - Exhilerating
David B - Flatulating
Jason - Friendships
Bob - Fruit Cake
Anthony - Doing the ride back to front (Adelaide to Melbourne?)
Tom - Challenging and Great Fun
Cameron - Tireless Energetic Support Crew
Matt - Unexpected and Delightful
Paul - Life Bond
Sue - Amazing
Wendy - "Pom Pom" (New favourite drink)
Claudio - Inspiring - watched alot of Butts
Alf - Thanks

Only a handful of riders hung around to play pool, have a few drinks and show their talents on the dance floor. Good to see the boys relax after the long journey from Melbourne.

Day 5 - Robe to Salt Creek 128km

For those of you who listen to Peter Goers on the Radio, Alf Ianniello(aka "Alfie")was live on air last night promoting the Ride!

Weather - No Rain, wind behind the riders instead of in front of them and only 128km ride today - walk in the park for them!!!

Well Gerry Naughtin and Dorothy Belperio headed off at 7.30am back to work while the riders had a sleep in and left at 9.00am

As the riders headed off the support crew remained behind to restock the food supplies. Only 45kms to morning tea at Kingston. Shopping for 22 people takes time and 5kms before Kingston the support crew had not yet passed the riders. The riders were a bit anxious that the crew hadn't been spotted and what about morning tea? The riders were definitely more worried about their stomachs and not whether the crew were ok!!!!

As good as the support crew are, the benchmark was raised yet again. With 5 minutes to spare and a quick pit stop at the BP for hot water to fill up the kettle, morning tea was ready on their arrival with fresh cakes and buns. Go the Support Crew

Today the riders are travelling well, flat roads and punctures and flat tyres at a minimum.

As the riders set off after morning tea, the heavens open. Jenny from the Kingston local paper came down and photographed the riders before they headed off.

Not many places between Kingston and Salt Creek so lunch was 'In the bush" under a tarp which was set up on the side of the road. yet again the support crew raised the bar with a bonfire roaring on their arrival. All the riders seem to have on their mind during the ride is FOOD. They are definitely getting variety throughout the week with their meals.

The other important thing asked throughout the group is what accommodation did we have in Salt Creek. For those of you who have been to Salt Creek, there is not much there at all. They were informed that on arrival they would need to set up their tents!!!! "All Part of the Adventure" All were pleasantly suprised that at Gemini Downs there were cabins with beds and hot showers in their cabins.

The riders seem to be cruising through the days now that the roads are flatter. Rob Meggetto still struggles with knee soreness but is well supported by the other riders and the Doc.

Lots of hugs and 'hi fives' amongst the boys on arrival and the weather starting to turn sour yet again. Good timing though and now time for the boys to jump in the ice baths.

Facilities at Gemini Downs perfect with open fire and large kitchen for Support Crew to cook up a storm. At the end of the night a total of 5kg's of pasta was cooked a big tray of chicken stir fry and Ang Anabaldi did a run to the only shop in Salt Creek to arrange dessert for everyone of icecream. Well done Ang.

Riders headed off to bed at 8.48pm while the support crew stayed up and relaxed. (The only time we get to relax is when the riders are asleep. Lucky they are going to bed early)

Day 4- Casteron- Robe

Day 4 Casterton- Robe- 167 kms.

Weather- cold, cold, cold and wet.

Who was the team member found asleep on the couch in the passage. When quizzed he said it was because there was a Harley Davidson sleeping in the bed next to him. Wonder who that was snoring loudly?

Todays ride was supposed to be flat, except for the small incline at the beginning. I think the riders and the support crew have a different idea about what a hill is. By the time the riders got to Penola for morning tea, there were a lot of riders looking for the hot soup and coffee. No issues on this leg of the trip, all accounted for and Jason joined the group on his bike.

Due to the terrible winds and rain we needed to get the riders out of the wind and rain at lunch. So...the expertise of the support crew were able to contact the caretaker at Kangaroo Inn school, who was kind enough to let us use the kitchen and shower facilities. We warmed the room up by opening the ovens and the boys had hot soup, milo and hot rolls ready for there arrival. As the riders rode into the school they were greeted by the school children were managed to scam a few extra minutes of lunch. High fives all round. Riders were most thankful.

The boys were definitely not looking forward to getting back out in the wind which was getting worse.

Afternoon tea was at Karratta Wines- can recommend the Cab Sav. Luckily we were able to use their shed out of the rain and wind for this break. All the riders commenting that they will probably put on weight rather than lose it due to all the food the support crew are providing.

The team spirit really kicked in over the afternoon supporting each other with the odd push from behind into the head wind. Lots of support for Rob M suffering from a sore knee, but managed to get through and ride the whole day without complaining. Top stuff Rob.

Gerry Naughtin, Dorothy Bel Perio and staff from MIND met the riders as they came in.

A big thanks to Jackaroo for donating a few cold beers for the riders, which went down well despite the cold. Thanks Jackaroo.

Dinner was hosted by MIND. During dinner the boys shared stories about their highlights so far......

Bob Manley - Winning 43 dollars on the dogs at the Albion Hotel last night.

Troy Bryant - Great Ocean Road views and Laver Hill climb.

Steve Seaford - Surviving this long.

Paul Mulholland - Dealing with the strong head winds today and getting everyone through.

Anthony Deconno - Team work of all involved.

Paul Gill - Not having to untarp the truck today as previous days he has had to untarp the truck so the riders can get something out of their bags.

Rob Meggetto - Getting through today with the assistance of the team and the Doc.

Mim Zigari - The mobile chemist facilities provided by the support crew and riding with Kermie on his bike.

Matt Hooper (the Doc) - "It's not the beginning or the end but the journey that they are all on"- quote from Alf.

Claudio Cattalano - (Support crew driver)- the experience of everyone working together and it being a priveledge to be part of it.

David Buck - The camaraderie of the guys has made it an enjoyable journey.

Jason Curran - The support and Alf swimming in the ocean today at Robe.

Tom Sullivan - The scenery, the journey, great bunch of guys, shame about the weather.

Alf Ianniello - With such a diverse ngroup everyone has stepped up and brought something to the table or the bike. Good traits and everyone executing.

Cameron Johnston - Butt cream, team work, personal achievements.

Tony Cox - Driving at 20km an hour for 4 days haves given him patience he didn't know he had.

Roger Cranwell - The great work Nic Cox did with the kits. Thanks god for the leg warmers.

Ange Anabaldi - Great Ocean Road and the views and being able to let lose and ride. Support crew are awesome. Would be lost without them.

Wendy Sutton - Watching the passion of the boys and driving through every town 5 times looking for morning and afternoon tea stops.

Mark Sutton - The journey, watching DJ achieve the ride and assisting him with his goals.

David Jeffries - LAVERS HILL- goes without saying, thanks Bob (his buddy for the day). Also the Doc who helped him down the other side.

Sue Catchpole - Watching the team work up Lavers Hill and the team work displayed by a bunch of guys who only met for the first time six months ago.

Day 3- Warrnambool- Casterton

Day 3- Warrnambool- Casterton - 164km.

Weather cold and rainy- well that's a surprise.

Due to personal reasons Jon Silcock had to leave the team and go home. All the rider wishing him the best and hoping he can join us in Strathalbyn for the ride back to Adelaide. Along with Nic Cox who had to leave due to work committments.

The first leg was a bit scary for the riders due to a "woman driver" who caused a truck driver to have to take some evasive action to miss the group. Luckily all boys came out safety. Glad we have a Doc in the team.

Lunch at Haywood football oval, only one casualty, Jason Curran with an inflamed knee, sent to the car by the Doctor for the rest of the day.

Boys now starting to feel the pain, more breaks and ice required to keep them all going, along with the many pain killers.

Afternoon tea at Merino in a park. Lovely little spot. Riders arrived tired cold and hungry, yet again. A pattern is emerging here.

Puncture score so far..........
Cam- 5
Anthony- 4-(one sustained in his room, so not sure that counts.)
The Doc- 1- also in his room- What are they doing up there???????

As the left Merino the rain set in for the whole leg until the boys arrived at Casterton, very wet and thankful.

Hotel accomodation consisted of dorm style rooms, UP the stairs. That's not fair after 175 kms. You have never seen anything so funny as 17 riders running around looking for the showers. Apperantly they had to run around to get wet, should have stayed outside in the rain.

Time in the ice bath in the blow up pool(complete with fishing rods and rubber duckies) out the back helped.

Dinner at the hotel, another earlier night, except for three of the support crew who got kicked out of the bar, oops.

Day 2 - Apollo Bay to Warrnambool 175km

7am start - Weather Windy, wet and cold – good start for the riders today.

Our day started at 4.45am this morning. Breakfast, again hosted by Gerry and Chris along with Peter and Kathleen, meant the rides had to be collected from their hotel and bought to San Jose before the 6.30am start. It was more 6.50am before the riders headed off for the big climb up Lavers Hills. It was decided by the riders the night before that morning tea was to be held at the bottom of Lavers Hill and not at the top as per the schedule. We found the morning tea stop 13kms from the top. Again when the riders got to us, you could see today was more of a challenge for them than yesterday. The team spirit amongst these guys shown to date is amazing, they are definitely working as a team. A challenge was set by AI (Alf Ianniello) for the Hill. First wife to call her husband on a tea break was Mrs Manley – wasn’t poor Bob embarrassed and kindly advised Jane that now was not a good time. 1st one up got $100.00. All the riders said that Ang had it in the bag, there was no contest. 20 Minutes later AA (Angelo Anibaldi) and DB (David Buck rode in to be joint winners of the challenge. Great effort. We didn’t even have time to finish our coffee!!!! The last 2 riders rode in 1 hour later DJ & BM (David Jeffries and Bob Manley) rode in. BM, the captain for the day stayed with DJ right through to the end. Well done DJ for not giving up and accomplishing the big hill. As the boys rode in, they were greeted by a round of applause from all the riders and support crew. To see the reactions of the riders at the front, in the middle and at the end is quite interesting from reactions like, that was great, to never doing that again to a few choice swear words.

After a well deserved coffee break, the boys got back on the bike to head down the other side. The Doctor was more worried about the journey down the hill than the one up. We certainly didn’t want anyone sliding down the hill and injuring themselves.

Ride to Recovery - Day 1

Day 1- Sunday 8 May- Melbourne to Apollo Bay- 175km

6.30am-  Under the cover of darkness and chilly Melbourne weather all the riders assembly in the lobby of the Travelodge hotel eagerly ready to commence. Lots of anticipation and a few nerves. With hot air ballons passing over the Melbourne skyline the riders set off for the first leg to Geelong where the first morning tea was held. During the first leg the support cars were unable to follow the riders, so Cam decided to ride ahead with his new beaut head "Cam Cam". He planned to take some footage of the riders but forgot to stop and fell of his bike much to the laughter of the group. A good start.

The next leg to lunch at Anglesee was uneventful, just a bit of rain. Unknownly a taste of things to come.

The afternoon stretch consisted of some beautiful scenery along the Great Ocean Road. The sun did come out allowing a bit of relief. On the arrival of the riders at afternoon tea, Sue was surprised to hear 19 men say they were "happy to see her". By now the support crew have the pit stop routine down to a fine art. Nic Cox suffered a minor knee injury, but with some loving care from the Doc solidered on. Already Nic had a bit a 'Man crush on the Doc".

The next leg to San Jose was a bit tough with windy weather along the Great Ocean Road. The support crew got a bit lost finding the night accomodation causing the riders to ride a few extra km's. Hey what's a few extra km's after the days work.

Evening meal held at San Jose, catered by MIND. Best beef pie in Victoria. Thanks to Gerry Naughtin and Chris Stallard coming from Melbourne to San Jose to see the riders along with hosts Peter and Kathleen for catering for dinner. I can tell you we have never seen men eat some much in a day.

All tucked in bed for the night.

Puncture score- Cam- 3.

The Riders

Ang Anabaldi

Alf Ianniello

  

David Jeffries



 

Nic Cox





Mim Zagari

Roger Cranwell



Rob Meggetto



Steve Seaforth

      



 

Tom Sullivan

 

Paul Mulholland





Cam Johnston



Mark Sutton

  



Matt Hooper

 

David Buck

     

 

Jon Silcock





Jason Curran



 

Troy Bryant





Bob Manley

Anthony De Conno

The Support Crew



Sue Catchpole



Paul Gill

Wendy Sutton

 

Claudio Catalano



Tony Cox
















The Final Countdown

Well... we leave on Friday for the big ride, and we held our final riders & support crew meeting on Monday night.  All is in order.

The months of training leading up to this week have been great preparation, some of the guys had a final ride over the weekend before the bikes are packed away for the trip over, others took the weekend to relax before the week ahead

Two of our support vehicles provided by Northpoint Toyota and Stillwell Trucks were packed up with some of our supplies and will be on their way to Melbourne thanks to our friends at Northline, who donated the transport.

The riders collected their bike boxes and the goody bags made up by Sue to help the guys with the week ahead.  Alf gave all the final briefing on the ride itinerary and the fundraising.