With six tough days down and only one grinding climbing day to go, the entire peloton was eager to get out on the road knowing that their months of training and fundraising efforts, and 6 days of incredibly challenging riding through Queensland’s hinterland was about to come to a close.
The last days challenge certainly wasn’t any easier on us… 135kms and over 2500m of climbing up towards the beautiful Lamington Rainforest. We all managed to find our climbing groups and enjoy a slow 21km grind through some of the country’s most beautiful forests and views. Knowing it was our last day, I think many of us made sure to slow down and appreciate what we’ve managed to achieve as a group. The weather gods were certainly on our side today - no clouds or rain to be seen, and we could take in the scenic views without needing to worry about the water on the roads, or what extra layers we needed to wear.
The best part about a long climb is always the ride back down… what goes up, must come down! We were treated with one of the best dry, long descents we’ve experienced throughout the week, and at the base of the hill we pulled into O’Rielly’s vineyard to enjoy an incredible outdoor lunch to chat through what we’ve achieved collectively over the last week.
We’ve not only managed to concur Queensland hinterlands and it’s incredible weather conditions, but we’ve managed to raise a record over $1,439,610 million dollars towards the Monash Children’s Hospital and Starlight Children’s Foundation. A very humbling and inspiring effort from everyone involved – the riders, the support crew, but most importantly our sponsors and donors who have been a huge part of this incredible achievement. Can’t thank you all enough for everything we’ve collectively managed to achieve this week.
