John Morton, Stuart Derham and Frank Strini, set off on the challenge of a lifetime on September 25 – the annual Simpson Desert Bike Challenge.
The Simpson Desert Bike Challenge, now in its 32nd year, challenges riders both mentally and physically and drives them to push well beyond the normal barriers of endurance sports, with its constant corrugations, pounding heat and endless dunes. Ridders use mountain bikes with 12 centimetre wide tyres.
For the local athletes, the challenge of another endurance event came as a chance to again test their limits, however all wanted to enjoy the experience along the way.
The race is comprised of 10 stages with two stages per day over the five days. The first three days saw the riders complete between 70 to 90 kilometres in the morning stages.
After a two-hour break they raced 45 to 60km in the afternoon stages.
Brad and Frank pushed themselves to 100 per cent completion of the course, which is 533km. They were two of only six riders to finish the race. Stuart and John succumbed to the oppressive heat, completing 519km and 434km respectively.
Steve Hill, Wendy Paris, Duncan Fisher, Mary Strini, Bruce, Grant and Xavier Derham formed the support crew. Each morning the support crew got up at 4.30am and got breakfast ready for the riders. They also prepared the rider’s lunches.
The race supports the Royal Flying Doctors Service, which provides a critical emergency response service to remote and rural communities in Australia.
PICTURED: Frank Strini was one of four local athletes to tackle Simpson Desert Bike Challenge, which ran form September 25 to 29. Brad Fisher, John Morton, Stuart Derham also took on the grueling 533 kilometre race.
