Day 12 Nuriootpa to Adelaide

We left Nuriootpa with reservations, as we knew that the weather wasn't going to hold, and indeed didn't.

The ride wasn't going to be a particularly long one, 86 km, but it turned up to be a challenging one.

As we left Nuriootpa, with sunny skies, but looming big, black clouds, we were farewelled by a few locals, and we departed with a hint of sadness, as we knew Adelaide wasn't far away, and it was to be  the end of our adventure.

Within 20 minutes of departure, the heavens opened, rain and wind started pelting the Riders, making the road slippery and wet, and the only thing we had in mind was to get to our destination unscathed.

Still, they rode along, making sure everyone was safe, until our first stop in Williamstown. In there, we had morning tea and a welcome cup of hot coffee. It was windy, wet and cold, and yet the ladies from the local Legacy were there to welcome us. They didn't care about the weather. As they told us, they weren't going to miss the opportunity to meet and say hello. They stayed with us until it was our time to say farewell.

At that point, we also had to farewell two essential members of the Support Crew, Jude and Ian Powell, or as we affectionately call them, Mum and Dad. Jude and Ian were the lifeline to the Ride. They provided breakfast, they carefully chose spots to stop for a quick drink, morning tea or lunch, went ahead and organised all the hotel accommodation by getting keys and lists of people,  they did the shopping, they worked out the following day's schedule. They were a vital part of the Ride, and the Tour was lucky enough to have them, not only for this Ride, but they were part of the inaugural Tour in 2013, from Melbourne to Adelaide.

The time came again to get on the saddles and keep making the way to Adelaide, The rain wasn't going to let up. The weather was going from bad to worse, making it sometimes difficult to see, as the Riders' glasses were getting foggy. We were getting a few strugglers here and there, a couple of them were falling considerably behind, but that didn't stop them from helping each other to go up hills.

We went through the Gorge Road, the windiest and narrowest bit of road in the Adelaide Hills, going down to the city. Again, it was a trying stretch of road, and one of our riders was fighting the hill with a fault in the gear system of his bike and was stuck with just one gear, which make the ascend almost impossible. Finally we got to some flat ground, we stopped to regroup, and everyone was happy that the rest of the way was pretty much downhill.

Still, going downhill with a damaged bike, wasn't the best scenario, so one of our strongest riders went to the back and helped him, slowly, slowly on his way down the hill. It was a fantastic thing to see. On the one hand, the rider with the damaged bike, who refused to get in a vehicle, determined to finish the ride the full way, on the other, the strong rider who came up to help, regardless of how long they were going to take in coming down.

Finally we hit suburbia, and the skies started to show a bit of blue here and there. By the time we got to the Campbelltown Council Chambers for a reception, the sun was making a timid appearance.

The reception at the chambers was a much appreciated relief from the cold. We were welcomed by the Deputy Mayor, Marijka Ryan, who was in awe of the achievement of the Group. She invited us to have hot drinks and a light lunch, and the Riders tucked into it with gusto.

Outside the Chambers, we had a waiting Police escort to take us all the way to the War Memorial. We had green lights all the way, and it was just a spectacle to see. The Riders just looked fantastic. We were joined by a few more riders from Soldier On, and another couple of groups, and we got to the Memorial, where we took photos and had time to get a few hugs by some of the families and friends who met us there.

And then, the time came. The time where we made our way down to the Torrens Parade Grounds to meet with the Governor of South Australia His Excellency Hieu Van Le, thus culminating an epic journey that won't be forgotten. Friends and families were there to greet us. To see riders greet their families after almost 2 weeks away, was emotional and heartwarming.

So after a few words of thanks from the Governor, the President of Adelaide Legacy, Keith Bleechmore, and Andrew Bahr, the spokesperson for the Tour, the Penny was handed over, so it can find his final resting place in the Military Museum at the Keswick Barracks, and the chapter on another wonderful, unforgettable, epic Tour de Legacy was closed.

I would like, if I may, introduce you to the Support Crew, who looked after the Group's needs all the way.

Ian and Jude Powell, in charge of catering, as mentioned above.

Kym Harden, driver of the lead vehicle, who had the job of leading the Group every morning out of the towns, lead us throughout the day and take us, safely, to our final destinations at the end of the day, and act as warning to incoming vehicles that Riders were ahead.

Stephen Lord, who drove the truck behind the peloton, covering their backs to make sure no vehicles would be a danger to them. Also providing drinks at the scheduled stops. Taking all the Riders' luggage and day packs to the next destination, carrying all the spares and tool-kits, and being responsible for taking the precious bike cargo to Canberra from Adelaide before the Tour started.

Anabelle Lord, who looked after the Riders' welfare, provided the much sought after lollies during the whole Ride, was liaison officer between  Media, Legacy Clubs and accommodation, and the Ride Committee.

The abovementioned were part of the inaugural Tour de Legacy in 2013.

We were lucky to have two extra support:

Brett Knuckey, who was kept busy while on the road finding directions for stops and destinations, and after each day's ride, he was there to fix broken bodies as a very popular masseur.

And last, our intrepid photographer, Simon Mills. He was our roaming support. He took the role of unofficial photographer. All photos in this blog must be credited to him. He also took some fantastic footage with a drone.
Nothing was too hard for him to do. Helping Mum and Dad in the morning with breakfast, then, helping Stephen and Anabelle to load the truck with luggage, and then, just going up and down, taking the most sensational photos, from the most surprising places, with a bit of entertainment on the side. We never knew where he was going to pop up next, or how he would be dressed.

Allow me now to introduce the Committe Members and Riders:

The Committee:

Andrew Bahr
David Bendo
Graham Lord
Daniel Raschella
Enio Rossi
Eric Rossi
Peter Short
Richard Staunton

The Committee worked tirelessly for almost 2 years to organise and make this Tour possible.

The Riders - Full Ride -:

Chris Bagg
Andrew Bahr
Peter Beyer
Fran Bonato
Steve Brown
Paul Burns
Jim Covino
Wayne Cullinan
Gavin Hean
Bim Lange
Guy Limbert
Graham Lord
Herb Mack
Sarah McEachern
Peter Moore
Stuart O'Grady
Adam Reid
Andrew Rossi
Eric Rossi
Peter Short
Richard Staunton
Daniel Tregenza
Peter Tymukas
Steve Wheaton
Tim Wheaton

The Riders - Short Ride -:

Shaune Amber
David Bendo
Leo Boesten
Gianni Conci
Scott Dornan
Richard Edwards
Simon Grenfell
Catherine Hughes
Pat Jonker
Gerard Killick
Dave Kissock
James McEwan
Daniel Raschella
Richard Riechelt

39 indomitable Riders who completed a wonderful event.

How does one finish writing about such a wonderful event?

With difficulty, sadness and hope.

It is difficult to say goodbye to a fabulous group of people. New friendships have been formed, but nothing can take away the feeling of camaraderie and mateship, nothing can take away the laughter, the cheeky moments, the moments of reflection, the tiredness, the weather, the exhilaration of the ride, and it will remain with us for a long time to come. I am sure the Tour de Legacy will be the topic of many a dinner conversation, for many weeks to come.

Sadness, because it is over already. The time went so quickly, we hardly had time to adjust.

Hope, because maybe, just maybe, that insane Ride Committee will get together and plant the seed for a new adventure in the future.

Our special thanks have to go to two cycling legends, who graciously gave their time to accompany us on this Legacy fundraiser: Stuart O'Grady, who rode the full length and Patrick Jonker, who joined us at Mildura for the last leg of the Ride. It was an honour and a pleasure to have them with us, not only they are excellent sportspeople, but also excellent human beings.

Finally, as this blog comes to an end, albeit a bit later than expected through circumstances beyond the writer's control, let me summarise what the Ride was.

Tour de Legacy 2015. From Canberra to Adelaide. 1,500 km cycled. 12 days duration. 27 riders the first leg, 39 the second part. 7 Support Crew. Funds raised for Legacy.

That's basically what the Tour was to many people. But for those who were involved in it, it was a completely different world.

This Tour had all the elements of a very special event: the mateship, the camaraderie, the selfless acts, and most importantly, the awareness of why we were doing this in the first place, to help, in our opinion, one of the most worthwhile charities. To this date, the amount raised stands at over $117,000. This amount represents the very generous donations to each of the riders from their supporters. Along with that fantastic result, there was also the incredibly generous support of our Corporate sponsors, which helped make the event a very successful fundraiser for Legacy.

It was a magical event that won't be forgotten.

We hope we have made Legacy proud, and in our hearts, we hope that Private Brealey is looking down on us with pride. 

Now, for some photos of the last day.

Leaving Nuriootpa on our last leg of the Ride

Kym leading us out of town

Going through Tanunda

And the, the heavens opened

Beautiful scenery, even when wet

The fabulous Barossa Legacy ladies!

The fantastic and hard working Support Crew

From left to right: Simon Mills, Ian Powell, Judy Powell, Brett Knuckey, Kym Harden, Anabelle Lord and Stephen Lord

Welcome refreshments at Campbelltown Council Chambers

At the War Memorial

The Group at the Torrens Parade Grounds

Emotional scenes when some of our Riders wore their Medals

His Excellency Hieu Van Le welcoming the Tour

Andrew Bahr handing over the Penny into the hands of the Governor

Private Brealey made it back

The Group. What an impressive sight!

And so it ends. Thank you to those who have read and commented on this blog. I hope I was able to deliver a small glimpse on the activities of this fantastic and epic Tour de Legacy.

Who knows, I might be honoured to write on the next blog about the next Tour.

Until then,

Cheers,

Anabelle Lord
Support Crew
Tour de Legacy