Recently I was fortunate enough to be part of another Clown Round; but this time it was in Queensland; at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. From left to right in the photo attached is: Doctor Colourful, Aaron Rodgers (Abi Group), Doctor Kerfuffel, David Vicenzino (Abi Group), Kent Williams (me) and Ian Doig (Humour Foundation … he is the man behind the camera)

The tour started with Doctor Kerfuffel and Doctor Colourful giving us a heads up as to what was planned for the day; the best way for us to be involved; and a little bit about the wards we would be visiting.

Being on tour with the Clown Doctors is very special but its important to recognise early that they are skilled in the delivery of humour; not us … so when I made a comment to Doctor Kerfuffel about the tea pot hat that was sitting on his head … a comment along the lines of “have a look at your head” … I should have expected that he would hit me harder than I hit him … the response he delivered almost before I had finished mine was “have you stood in front of a mirror lately” and we all know there is nothing better than watching your mates get smacked so for both Aaron and David, this was the perfect start to the tour.

Abi Group

Now before I chat about the tour, let me introduce Aaron and David. Aaron Rodgers has participated in all the entoure events and been a previous winner of the Best Fundraiser Jersey on a number of occasions. He is a man with a big heart and loves nothing more than to raise a lot of money for kids charities. He takes on the challenge of fundraising like it is a game … a very serious game … and he doesn’t muck around. It would be fair to say I have never met anyone quite like him … he is an incredible human being. Well that was until I met his boss at Abi Group David Vicenzino; a very different person to Aaron in many respects but with a shared passion for fundraising and supporting kids charities. The first year team Abi Group entered an entoure event was in 2010 and Aaron Rogers was the team leader and thanks to some serious planning and support from many of Abi Groups contractors, the team raised an incredible $83,000. So for the Brisbane to Salt 2011 ride, Abi Group had a few options;

1. be happy with what they achieved in 2010 and go easier on their network, or
2. step it up

2011 saw David Vicenzino (Aaron’s boss) take the Team Leadership spot and the decision was made to step it up. The team created a very professional flyer and developed a clear plan and call to action: OUR FUTURE IS OUR CHILDREN. A soft target of $100,000 was set and a business plan was established. Accountabilities were established across team members and emails were issued to go hard. The team raised $110,000 and secured a major sponsor in Real Serious Games at $10,000 and a further product sponsor in McLay Industries at $2,500. No surprise the entire team won the 2011 Best Fundraiser Jersey.

Team Abi Group raised enough money to pay for 2 Clown Rounds a week for an entire year so to show them the Clown Doctors in action was not only important, but deserved and a real privilege for me to share a Clown Round with 2 of entoures strongest supporters and mates.

The Clown Round

Watching the Clown Doctors is a lot like watching a flower blossom in high speed. I had the happy tears streaming down my face before we got out of the main foyer of the cafeteria. On the way to the wards and within minutes of starting the round, the Clown Doctors engaged with a young girl (probably 3) who was with her grandmother. It was incredible for me to watch the girl react as both Doctor Colourful and Doctor Kerfuffle focused on her. Just like the blossoming of a flower in high speed, she grew in confidence; grew in acceptance; and innocence that looked lost, came back. As the Clown Doctors worked their magic, the little girl ever so slowly released her tight grip on her grandmothers hand almost finger by finger. Her face took a long time to go from a stare to a smirk; to a grin; and then to a laugh … but it happened and it was beautiful. It was the first time I had seen the re-birth of lost innocence and that’s what drove my happy tear moment. Whilst I don’t have kids, the most prized asset of any child and parent must surely be the innocence of a child and serious illness or accidents can sadly see kids loose this innocence for either a long time or sometimes for ever. My view has always been that whilst we can’t change the outcome, we can help … but here I was watching the outcome change … watching the Clown Doctors breath life back into a little girl and enrich her in a way that was life changing. It was a simple visual … but a visual I will never forget as it really brought home the power of love, laughter and the need for fun on the human soul.

The Roll Call

The Clown Round continued through a variety of kids wards but one of the most entertaining of moments was the visit we made to a day ward; a ward where kids and families that had recently been released from hospital come back to see doctors and to get a feel for how the recovery process is going. The ward was busy and in any ways for me a bit like a public emergency ward with people coming and going; people lining up to register as they entered; and doctors calling out the names of the next patient in line.

After working the room and seeing many of the kids, Doctor Kerfuffle and Doctor Colourful moved silently to the centre of the room and started to yell out the names of people that quite clearly didn’t exist. The first name was “I P Daily” … Doctor Kerfuffle yelled numerous times “Calling I P Daily … has anyone seen I P Daily”. And on they went … roll call after roll call … with each name that was called out, more laughter. The kids looked as if the Clown Doctors were being naughty; the parents looked as if the Clown Doctors were being funny; and the nurses and doctors looked on as if thank god … a mood change. I looked on not wanting the roll call to stop. I thought it was one of the greatest things I had ever seen. What was initially a very busy and slightly hectic room transformed into something very different; and all because of the time and skill of the Clown Doctors and how they use Humour to change the world.

To Doctor Colourful and Doctor Kerfuffle … THANK YOU for everything you do … you really are amazing.

The Entoure Cycle events are fast becoming the premier cycle event for both experienced and semi experienced cyclists and a fantastic opportunity to raise money for a special cause. The Southern Highlands Cycle Classic is a new route that will take place February 17 to 19, 2012. The ride will take in the iconic towns of Wollongong, Robertson, Bowal, Fitzroy Falls, Berry, Kangaroo Valley and much more and give riders challenges only found in the wonders of the Southern Highlands. Places are limited to 70 riders so register quick; take advantage of the early bird give aways; and come join the entourage.

REGISTER NOW

To get a feel for what you are in for, watch a video from our recent Brisbane to Salt Ride.

What you must know

Register

To register for the Southern Highlands, simply download the REGISTRATION PDF.

Early Bird Bargain

Register by November 15 and receive a complimentary Babici designed entoure race kit valued at $225

Fundraising Opportunities

Under a revised model, riders will for the first time have an opportunity to;

1. fundraise for an incredible cause
2. support their own cause, or
3. simply participate.

Hero Pages can be set up using EVERYDAY HERO … click here to learn more.

Details

When: February 17 to 19
Where: Southern Highlands
Cost: $925 Triple Share or $1,025 Twin Share
Start: TBA
Finish: TBA

REGISTER NOW

Inclusions

2 Nights accommodation Friday and Saturday Nights
All meals including Breakfast, Lunch andy Dinner
On road file, Electrolyte drink, Gels and Bars
Bike washing and full on road support (mechanical parts on a user pay basis)
Massage therapists (user pay basis $30 for 30 minutes)

Terms and Conditions

Before registering for our events, riders need to commit to doing a couple of things:

1. be registered with Bicycle NSW (or it’s equivilent), Click here to register online.
2. be fit and healthy,
3. have a road bike (no hybrids allowed), and be
4. fit and experienced enough to participate in the event safely

Rider Rules and Safety

Riders need to follow some basic rules when participating in our events. These rules are designed to keep our participants safe. Click here for more information about rider rules and safety.

What you should know

Routes

The route for this event is still being negotiated however for a high level view, please review the links below. The tour will take riders through some of the Southern Highlands most scenic country side and take in towns and passes of the likes of Kangaroo Valley, Berry, Bowral and Macquarie Pass.

Day One 155 K

Click here for the Route

Day Two 128 K

Click here for the Route

Day Three 150 K

Click here for the Route

Pelotons

Riders will be split into a variety of pelotons based on rider experience & speed. All riders will be allocated into these pelotons prior to the event. It will be important for all riders to chat with their team captains and nominate a preference prior to allocation. Riders can swap pelotons throughout the tour but not throughout the day as the intention will be to keep the pelotons separate in order to limit road congestion.

Qualification

All riders must qualify to participate in this event and have reached a level equal to or in-excess of C Grade vet and we will contact all riders individually on receipt of their registration form to discuss the pre event qualification process in more detail. The purpose of this qualification is to ensure riders can ride safely at a collective pace without getting dropped or requiring the sad wagon.

Pace

The pace will be steady and safety will be a priority. Riders will once again compete for a series of competition jerseys and we will provide details in regards to the jerseys and how they can be won, closer to the event.

Competition Jerseys

Whilst it is not a race, some organised challenges will occur and a detailed briefing will be held throughout the event. In short, the competition sections will include:

1. Yellow Section - Leaders Jersey
2. Green Section - Sprint Jersey
3. Polka Dot - Climbers Jersey
4. Pink - Individual Fundraiser
5. White - Best New Rider

Riders will not be allowed to win more than one of the above categories and we will provide more detail on this closer to the event.

Support

The  pelotons will be fully supported with lead and rear vehicles and roving motorbikes; mechanics, massage therapists and doctors. Water, electrolyte powder, carbo shots, bananas and sun cream will be available as required. Riders requiring mechanical parts will purchase on a needs basis from the mechanics.

Massage Therapists

Massage Therapists will be available throughout the event at a cost of $30 for 30 minutes. Riders will be advised of the booking process at the event and are encouraged to utilise the therapists to release unwanted aches and pains. Why get a massage ?

Clothing

Both team and individual kits are available. For individual kit, simply visit the entoure shop. For team kit, contact us and we will help you with your designs. Minimum quantities apply.

Accommodation

We will be staying at Briars Bowral. Standard accommodation will be triple share. To review the resort, click here.

Flights

No flights planned for this tour. Riders are to arrange their own flights.

Meals

Meals will be held at the resort on Friday and Saturday Nights. Lunches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be held along the route. Riders with special food requirements should let us know at registration.

Training

Training requirements differ from rider to rider however, we have put together a training program based on a 14 week lead period. We have also provided riders with some information on health and wellness together with a few tips when it comes to Urologists designed bike seats.

Click here for information about our health tips, training rides and training program.

Riders Factsheet

For a brief snap shot of the event, download the riders fact sheet here.

It is not very often people get to go behind the scenes of a major children’s hospital and to witness firsthand the great work of the Clown Doctors. However, courtesy of Ian Doig (the Fundraising Manager for the Humour Foundation), both Mark Worrall (Entoure Chairman) and myself got to experience something very special today that was truly wonderful. A hospital can be a sad place for some many reasons but to witness the joy the Clown Doctors bring to the hospital environment was a real thrill and something I won’t forget in a hurry.

Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles (pictured above) are 2 of the 55 very special people who make up the Clown Doctors. Today I watched lost innocence reborn. I watched kids faces light up; parents and nurses laughing; people having fun in an environment that is simply not built for laughs. We visited Randwick Children’s Hospital and whilst this was not my first visit to a children’s hospital, it was my first “Clown Round” and just like the kids, the parents and all around me, I didn’t want it to end.

The Humour Foundation is entoures Major Beneficiary and the recent Grape Ride raised around $52,500 in support of the Clown Doctors program which will fund 1 Clown Round per week (2 x Clown Doctors) for an entire year and from what I have witnessed today, that’s got to be one of the best investments on the planet.

Who are the Clown Doctors ?

The Clown Doctors work in partnership with health professionals. While regular doctors focus on the sickness of the child, Clown Doctors focus on the health. There are currently 55 Clown Doctors operating in 20 Hospitals around Australia who touch the lives of more than 135,000 people in the health care system each year. All are highly skilled professional performers trained by The Humour Foundation to work in the hospital setting. The Foundation provides ongoing support and professional development to ensure that Clown Doctors are well-nourished professionally and are able to perform to the best of their ability. Read more.

The Visit !

Ian Doig collected both Mark and myself and drove us to the Hospital. The plan was to meet Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles before the Clown Round and in discussions before meeting the 2 doctors, I told Ian that I often felt like an intruder on these tours and that I wasn’t sure how I was going to react when placed in a situation of a child, their parents and the Clown Doctors. Well how wrong could I have been ? Both Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles (one of the original Clown Doctors back in 1997) are so skilled when it comes to evaluating a child’s emotional connection, engaging me and getting me involved from what was a safe distance for me and for the kids, was all too easy. The visitation started at around 10.30 am and whilst for Mark and I the Clown Round finished at around 11.45 am, both Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles were just warming up.

How do they operate ?

Both doctors were quick to assess each and every child. Quickly and silently identifying and strategising each situation; standing at the door of each ward; shouting things such as “DID ANYONE ORDER 2 SPECIALISTS” and then asking the kids if they could come in.

Once given the nod by a child within the ward, in they would go; slowly working their way around the ward as each child showed interest; heavily involving parents and nurses and very quickly changing the emotional state of the entire room.

The transformation was simply incredible. The humour (whether it be tricks, jokes, magic or song) was pitched at a level that entertained all ages; either that or I have some growing up to do; because I loved it.

Our first interaction with Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles was outside the hospital cafe where we were waiting before starting the Clown Round, where a shy little girl stood with her mum.

The 2 doctors confronted the little girl (probably aged about 3) and it was just so beautiful to watch them ever so slowly bring a smile to this little girls face. The little girl never said a word but her face wrote a book; I had happy tears rolling down my face caused form the size of my grin and it didn’t take me long to realise that to support the Clown Doctors was to support something special and that the tour of the hospital was going to be very rewarding.

A Moment To Remember

A moment enjoyed and not easily forgotten occurred when a young boy being wheeled into his ward after either an operation or a series of tests, got wheeled through a corridor where we were chatting with the clown doctors and nurses.

The young boy was coming from a direction where he couldn’t see us but we could see him. Dr Tickle Me Please and Dr Sniggles organised us so the bed could be wheeled past us and then at the last moment stretched a line of toilet paper (a tool used for a variety of their gags) across and in front of the bed; much like a finish line to a race.

As the bed got wheeled closer and in between where we were standing, the toilet paper was placed closer and closer to the young boys face; and then to his surprise the toilet paper (which had by this stage been stretched across his bed and as low as to gently touch his nose), became the finish line to a race the boy had no idea he had entered.

All of us cheered as the boy got wheeled under the toilet paper finish line and a small Mexican wave irrupted. The boy didn’t know what had hit him. What was to always have been a routine trip back to the ward became something very very different and a great example of what the Clown Doctors bring to situations on the fly.

Get Involved

There are video’s on our website that talk about the efficiency and effectiveness of the Clown Doctors and what I witnessed today was so unique and so special, it would be great for you to get involved by:

1. riding in one of our cycle tours,
2. sponsoring someone to ride, or
3. simply donating funds direct to the Humour Foundation.

We spoke to parents of some of the kids who said their extended families overseas have nothing like this and that when their families came over to visit their sick child, they couldn’t believe the program and the joy the Clown Doctors provided in the hospital system.

If anyone is looking for an efficient and effective charity focused on program deliverables, I strongly suggest you check out the Clown Doctors. They deserve all the support they can get. Imagine a world where the Clown Doctors could access every child in every hospital around Australia. Currently, that world is about $6 million away …. and whilst that’s a lot of money, its certainly not impossible.

Since entoure launched in March 2008, over 475 cyclists have donned the lycra in an effort to raise funds for kid’s doing it tough. To date, their efforts have raised a staggering $1,045,000 and below is a short video summary of what we achieved as a result of the Grape Ride in the Hunter Valley of NSW in May of 2011.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in making the Grape Ride such a wonderful event.

As part of the many ways we are looking to further professionalise our events, we are keen to hear what the riders felt worked and what didn’t. Areas were we need to improve and areas where we are doing well. Rider feedback is very important to us and enables us to be able to design an event that meets (but hopefully exceeds) their needs.

Whilst our focus is to raise funds for kid’s charities, my focus (as an event organiser) is to design and manage events that excite our network. Events they feel they could easily invite their mates too participate in and events that fit into their busy lifestyles.

Entoure made some pretty bold changes this year in terms of our funding model and the beneficiaries we would support. We moved away from supporting medical healing and more towards the emotional healing of kids and expanded our focus from critically injured kids to seriously ill, disabled and disadvantaged kids. In addition, entoure became a third party logistics company for a variety of other charities and events.

For the first time in our events, we invited riders who participated in the Grape Ride to complete a short online survey and the feedback has been fantastic. I would like to thank all the riders for taking the time to give us their thoughts and will be working over the next few weeks on strategies to address some of the great feedback people have given us.

To view a high level snap shot of the survey results received to date, click here.

It’s not too late to have your say.

Anyone who participated in the Grape Ride event and has not yet completed the survey please click here.

Before I start this profile I should probably admit that the rider in profile is a very good friend of mine. But the story is true and a great example of how you can participate in our cycle events even if cycling is not your sport and you no longer work within a corporate environment.

Kathryn Holloway
Winner of the Sydney Altitude Training Centre Best New Rider

Kathryn has shown interest in doing one of our events since we launched in March 2008. She has come to many a finish and shared many coffees with me saying “I must do one of your rides love”. I had heard the expression that many times that whilst I got the point that she was keen, I wasn’t sure when or if it would ever happen … until she registered this year for the Hunter Valley Grape Ride.

Only 12 months or so earlier, Kathryn had purchased a nice pink road bike she excitedly called the Diva but with a variety of other sporting commitments the Diva had spent more time in her house than outside it. You see Kathryn is not a cyclist; she is a runner; and a dam good one; recently coming 17th female to cross the line in the Herald Half Marathon at a time of 86.26. Kathryn is also a newly accredited personal trainer and between training clients and smashing herself, she had little time and on some days little energy to dust the bike off and to give it a crack.

Team Positive Fitness

Kathryn does very little in life in halves, so when she moved away from a very successful corporate career into personal training she made the time to create a brand … and established positive fitness. This of course meant she now had a brand she could market into our event and an opportunity to enter the Grape Ride not simply as an individual but as a team … enter team member Rob Fraser.

Together, they now had a reason to make the time to get fit and to strategise how they were going to raise funds without having access to a massive corporate network.

They set themselves a team fundraising target of $2,000; dusted off their bikes and began what was really a journey into the unknown.

1. How do you train for an event you’ve never done ?
2. How do you ensure you are fit enough to finish ?
3. How do you raise thousands of dollars ?

The answers to questions 1 and 2 are really pretty simple.

1. Get on your bike and ride with some mates
2. Get in a spin class and extend yourself, and
3. Take 2 large table spoons twice daily of harden up

And that they did … however, somehow between training for the event and getting to the start line, Kathryn then asked me “what peloton should we go in lovie” ? Based on Kathryn’s fitness pedigree and having previously been smashed by her riding up McCarrs in the big ring, I said “peloton 1“.

Knowing that both Kathryn and Rob had done the miles and that fitness was not going to be an issue, the challenge for them now was how to blend into an experienced peloton without having the same level of experience.

1. What would they do if they got a flat ?
2. Would they know how to draft the rear van ?
3. Would anyone in the peloton help them ?

Whilst at times lessons were probably learn’t on the bike, it is fair to say they both answered the call; at times chatting ever so briefly to Elvis and learning a little bit about the importance of applying regular chamois cream before the start of each day.

For those of us that ride regularly, it is sometimes all too easy to forget that at some point we didn’t know what it is we now know and it is only through experiences that we learn and grow. If you do the level of preparation that Kathryn and Rob did leading up to the Grape Ride then you position yourself well to learn fast on tour.

Day 2 was the 5 k Team Time Trial and a great opportunity for Team Positive Fitness to join forces with exT1D (Allan Bolton and Stephen Borness) and 3 individual riders Julie Graham, Andrea Lourey and our infamous team doctor, Dr Paul Russell.

Team Datacom was always going to be the team to beat in this event and won the challenge in a time of 8.13 mins and whilst the Positive Fitness Team (Called for the purpose of the race “Bikesexuals”) came in 8th in a time of 9.48 mins, the gap in real terms was quite small.

Now with all that said, both riders crossed the finish line on day 3 very emotional … shedding the odd tear when greeted by family and friends … reflecting back on what they had physically accomplished and how they had shared it together. When I questioned Rob on whether he had in fact shed the tear he answered me by saying “just after Peats Ridge and prior to the KOM up Brooklyn, my legs were starting to cramp up and to be honest mate I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to ride in and see my wife and kids … and then at Brooklyn I got a second wind and felt fantastic”.

Now anyone that has done an endurance event of any sort will know exactly what that moment feels like … when you think you’re out of the game and cant go any further and like a gift from god, the pain goes away and at the finish of the event when the tears hit your face and your struggling to understand why … thats the moment that defines why you entered the event and why you completed it and why you will need to come back next year to do it all over again.

It’s not all about the bike !

BUT, for me as an event organiser, it’s not just simply about the participation in the ride and how people achieve the sporting hurdle. The hurdle that I am most interested in is:

1. how hard will they go to raise funds ? and
2. What level of commitment will they have to do the very best they can ?

When I award someone the best new rider’s jersey I do so for very good reason and awarding it to Kathryn was a no brainer. The target they set of $2,000 was smashed with a fundraising contribution of $4,968 and thats pretty impressive when you no longer have access to a corporate network and its the first time you have set yourself such a high fundraising benchmark. So how did they do it ?

Kathryn and Rob pulled together around 70 of their mates (that was the first hurdle gone) and hosted a dinner at a local Italian Restaurant. They door knocked the local community of Mosman and collected some fantastic Auction and Raffle Prizes. They sold tickets to the dinner at a price people were more than willing to pay and went to work on ensuring people had a great night; were well primed by the time the auction came around; and utilised the services of 2 gun ticket sales agents in Diana Raice and Sandie Barber; who I think on the night did 2 sweeps of the tables cracking jokes and helping to sell around $2,000 in ticket sales.

Now I have been to plenty of charity dinners and the success of the night has always been determined by the preparation;  it always gets back to the people staging the event; whether they invited the right people and whether they succeeded in connecting them to the cause; it always gets back to the level of enthusiasm and belief of the hosts and this is where in my view Kathryn and Rob really excelled.

There is nothing better in this world than for me to see people within our network pick up the baton and believe whole heartedly in what we are doing; trusting where the funds are going; how the funds will be used; and personally taking on the fight to raise funds. That is the moment in all our tours where I, as the event owner, sit back and say “we got something special here”. Because it is at that moment when you know we are no longer just making a difference to the lives of kids that need support, but we are making a difference to those around us by giving them an opportunity to give to something they can personally connect with and afterwards feel good about … in essence, its at that moment where I know we are sharing the love and making the world a better place.

So Kathryn (being the Team Leader of Positive Fitness and the least experienced cyclist out of her team) won the Sydney Altitude Best New Riders Jersey and Kathryn received the prize with the same level of enthusiasm both her and Rob brought to the entire event.

Congratulations to the both of them and let them be an example of how to get your teeth into something; have fun; and make a very big difference to the lives of your family, friends and the kids our events go to support.

The Entoure Grape Ride was held between the dates of April 30 and May 1 2011 and included 75 fantastic cyclists across 11 very special corporate teams. The ride was our 4th ride in the Hunter Valley of NSW and our 7th cycle event since we launched in March 2008.

As always we have some incredible stories in terms of:

1. riders preparation to get fit for the event,
2. riders strategies to fundraise, and our
3. support teams ability to manage curve balls.

To view all the images of the tour, visit the entoure gallery or click on the video below.

Set Up

To mitigate any risk of riders getting wet before the ride had even started, the start line was moved from Rofe Park Galston to Berowra Community Centre. By 6.50 am and only minutes before the riders briefing, the clouds opened up and the rain pelted down; sending everyone a very clear message of  what lay ahead … “thank goodness we moved the start”. Riders ran for cover and by the time the debrief was over and a few prays were shared amongst the troops, the rain miraculously stopped … as if the big fella upstairs knew we had some important work to do and that our ride was more than just a bunch of people in silly clothes going for a spin.

Day One

Day 1 took riders 165 k from Berowra to the Hunter Valley. Riders took on the peaks of Peats Ridge and Mooney Mooney together with a series of undulations from Somersby to the Hunter Valley. Both major climbs were completed in the first 50 k of the event and had an average grade of around 4%.

A police escort was made available to riders from the northern side of the Hawkesbury Bridge and took riders safely through the 2 climbs to Somersby; where riders were further escorted into one of our minor (but very important) beneficiaries … Riding for the Disabled Central Coast Centre (RDACCC); where morning tea was to be served in addition to an introduction to some very special kids and their horses.

RDACCC operates 6 days a week and services the needs of around 120 disabled kids living in or around the Central Coast of NSW. RDACCC have around 14 horses and $20,000 raised from the Grape Ride will go to support their operational expenses for 2011/12. This is an incredible contribution for them and allows them to focus their energies on wish list items not normally on their agenda.

After morning tea it was off to Kulnura where riders would once again take on a 6 k challenge into Wollombi for the Lend Lease Green Sprinters Jersey. Whilst the entoure events are not a race, the events always include a series of challenges that give riders the ability to blow off some steam and for the event to raise additional sponsorship funds through the purchase of competition jerseys.

The Winners of the Lend Lease Green Sprinters Jersey were:

1. Michael Cole Open
2. Ben Dean Graded

Day Two

Day 2 took riders 95 k through the quaint towns of Pokolbin, Lovedale, Rutherford & Rothbury and included a 23 k challenge and a 5 k team time trial before finishing the day at what has become the infamous Ballabourneen wine lunch.

The 23 k challenge was for the Bike Bug Yellow Leaders Jersey and takes in some of the best rural land the Hunter Valley has to offer and once again proved to be an epic contest between several of the riders. The team time trail was much closer than anyone could have predicted and from all reports was a huge success.

The day included patches of rain that certainly tested the riders from time to time but once again the big fella looked after us and only gave us what he thought we could handle.

The Winners of the Bike Bug Yellow Leaders Jersey were:

1. Ian Matthews Open
2. Dylan Robertson Graded

The Winners of the Team Time Trial were:

1. Datacom 8.13 mins
2. AMP Capital Shopping Centres 8.18 mins
3. Propel INvestments 8.32 mins
4. Goodmans / Rode Duivels 8.55 mins

Other team times were:

1. Holcim Lend Lease 9.07 mins
2. Harvey Norman 9.08 mins
3. Bike Bug 9.40 mins

Day Three

Day 3 took riders 150 k back to Hornsby and included a 4 k KOM challenge up Brooklyn and despite forecasts of rain throughout the day, the big fella gave us blue sky all day.

The tour is basically an out and back route so riders basically rode through Wollombi to Peats Ridge for lunch were they once again had a Police Escort to the Hawkesbury River bridge.

Winners of the HP Climbers Jersey were:

1. Luke Brown Open
2. Paul Russell 75 to 80 k
3. Simon McCarthy 80 to 85 k
4. Peter Richards 85 to 90 k
5. Rob Coska 95 k +

Other Competition Jersey Winners Included:

AMP Fundraiser Jersey

1. Adrian Tesorerio
2. Kieren Mottershead
3. Mike Whelan

Assessment Measures White Best New Riders Jersey

1. Ken Crawford
2. Peter Wilson
3. Allan Boltan

Sydney Altitude Training Centre White Best New Riders Jersey

1. Kathryn Holloway
2. Simon McCarthy
3. Peter Dowding
4. Ian Doig

Harvey Norman White Best New Riders Jersey

1. Scott Kessell
2. Steve Borness

Congratulations and Thanks

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the event and supported our cause. Special thanks to Allan Bolton and Ian Doig who both participated in the ride and proudly represented their beneficiary. Special thanks also to our fantastic sponsors and support staff whom without our events would never be possible.

Jersey Sponsors:

1. Bike Bug
2. Lend Lease
3. HP
4. Assessment Measures
5. Harvey Norman
6. Sydney Altitude Training Centre
7. AMP Capital Shopping Centres

Team Entrants:

1. Amp Capital Shopping Centres
2. Bike Bug
3. Boomtime
4. Datacom
5. exT1D
6. Goodman / Rode Duivels
7. Harvey Norman
8. Lend Lease
9. Positive Fitness
10. Propel Investments

Supporters:

1. SIS
2. Budget
3. Flowers Financial

Support Staff:

1. Dave Sharpe
2. Mark Williams
3. Justin Roscoe
4. Ollie Martin
5. Ian Doig
6. Paul Russell
7. Michael Hunt
8. Dean Venturato
9. Daniel Nicolas
10. Paul Jenkins
11. Coby Du Preez
12. Vanessa Fries
13. Thienan Han
14. Rocky Fortuna
15. Jimmy Howard
16. Emma Schibrowski

Estimated Disbursments:

1. Humour Foundation $50,000 (Clown Doctors Program)
2. Sydney University Diabetes Research Foundation $30,000
3. Riding for the Disabled CCC $20,000

Our next event will be the Brisbane to Salt Cycle Classic and will be held Oct 7 to 9. Check it out.