RIDING TO RECOVER

A group of six ex-service men and women, who had achieved so much serving in the Defence Force and Federal Police, faced one of the toughest battles of their lives. Along for the ride, they were joined by comedian Hamish Blake and world champion cyclist Cadel Evans on a journey they are sure to never forget.

Selection began on a warm Sydney morning in January, with 10 riders gathered to compete for a spot on the Soldier On Trois Etapes team. Put through their paces by renowned Tour de France coach Scott Sunderland, the determined men and women battled the inclines surrounding St Ives. A group of strong contenders were whittled down to six, and with them, the 2015 TE team was born.

Six months later, after two training camps, hundreds of kilometres on the bike, newly formed friendships and lots of sweat and just a few tears, the team found themselves setting off to Italy to conquer the Italian Dolomites. Most of the riders found it hard to believe that they had achieved so much in their training, Hamish Blake most of all.

“Before I really understood what I was signing up for, I said ‘yes’ because I finally had time to really support Soldier On,” Hamish said. “It was only then I found out how difficult it was going to be, and how many muscles your legs never need to use until you start cycling.”

Upon their arrival, the team set out, acclimatising first with a few training rides with Cadel Evans, winner of the Tour de France in 2011 and Australian cycling superstar. He took them through their paces and gave them a taste of the mountains they would soon be battling.

However, the riders were battling far more than those mountains, with each one of them affected by their service in some way. Some with physical injuries, and others with psychological wounds. Usually reserved for the super elite, the opportunities offered to the team were the same as any professional rider. With a team uniform, a support crew, vehicle, and a Directeur Sportif – they were set to have the ride of their lives.

Team coach, Scott Sunderland, said he hoped the riders would enjoy the moments in Italy. His advice was to “Be proud of what you are doing, what you are achieving… When it’s race time, lots of emotions and anxieties will come up. That's normal. It’s all okay. It's all part of your journey and your experience.”

He said while working with the Soldier On team, he had to fight his natural coaching urge to be more hands on and have greater control over how the riders learn and train. “If I did that, the team would just be along for the ride instead of making the ride happen themselves, and they'd get less out of the experience”, he said. The gruelling ride saw the team cover 300km in three days, climbing a combined total of 8000m.

Day One

Distance: 104.5 km

Today, we saw some great times from the team, and a beautiful sunny day for them to enjoy the beautiful Italian mountains. They each dug deep to finish the first leg, with some killer climbs and the longest stage of the ride.

Day Two

Distance: 98.6 km

It was a battle with the elements, alongside another long ride. Rain and hail saw the stage come to an early end and the team had little time to recover from their epic ride the day before. A tough climb waited for them before their early finish,

Day Three

Distance: 49.2 km

The third and final day was a daunting climb, with a steep course to ensure they wouldn’t forget about the Dolomites in a hurry.

Each of the riders had a significant personal victory that final day, with every team member crossing the finish line – spent but ecstatic.

Directeur Sportif, Anna Vandierendonck, said she witnessed some amazing achievements from all the riders.

“We brought a bunch of strangers together, who were all at a point in their lives where they needed a challenge or something to sink their teeth into. Every one of them was at a different stage of their recovery from physical and psychological wounds, and the experience has helped them in so many different ways” she said.

“There was self-doubt, a lot of nerves and anxiety as they trained. Once we put them on a bike though, gave them a training schedule and a mountain to climb, what we got was an amazing group that pulled through as a team.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of them, and I think the Trois Etapes will have a lasting impact on each and every one of them.”

“The best result is that it doesn’t end there,” Anna said.

“They will line up as a team once again at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean People’s Ride in January and conquer 235km at the Peaks Challenge Falls Creek in March 2016.

“They will keep riding beside each other on their road to recovery.”