Recreational Cyclist Gary Taylor will be riding 162km as part of the TourDown Under Challenge Tour in late January 2020. PHOTO: Jesse Neill
JESSE NEILL
EVANSTON Park cyclist Gary Taylor will be putting his fitness to the test for the upcoming Tour Down Under (TDU) Challenge Tour, and is encouraging other local residents to do the same.
Held in early January 2020, the Challenge Tour allows recreational cyclists to take on the same route that elite cyclists will ride as part of stage four of the TDU.
The track goes from the Parade in Norwood, to Bridge Street in Murray Bridge and there are four start locations to cater for every fitness level – at Norwood (162.2km), Williamstown (110km), Mount Torrens (78.5km) and Mannum (33km).
Mr Taylor will be riding from Norwood for the full stage four route and said he is using the Challenge Tour as motivation for his own riding.
“I’m just a recreational cyclist, so entering this gives me a goal to work towards,” he said.
“It gives me a reason to train, a reason to go out and cycle on a day I might not feel like it, and it helps out my fitness a lot too.”
The stage four route will start at 6am on Friday, January 24 and riders will have roughly six hours to complete the track before the professional race starts.
Mr Taylor completed a similar challenge almost 15 years ago, but said he will have some work to do to get fit enough for the Challenge Tour.
“In 2005 I did a similar ride and really enjoyed that, but a knee injury has stopped me from riding as much over the last couple of years,” he said.
“I’ve been gradually getting back into it and slowly increasing the distance I’m training so by the time I get to January I’ll have done that distance three or four times.”
Mr Taylor has been riding for almost 20 years recreationally and encourages anyone who’s considering the Challenge Tour to give it a go, as he says cycling is a great pastime.
“I don’t love the magpies and the lycra, but I love the fact you can just pedal and not think about anything else,” he said.
“You’re going fast enough to know you’re getting somewhere, but not so fast that you can’t see the scenery around you.
“It’s a great way to get fit, enjoy the sights and chill out.”
