Tour de OROC cyclists have triumphed over an epic 1140-kilometre challenge, their efforts helping patients from across western NSW to access health care.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The riders endured strong headwinds on Saturday as they pushed the pedals from Warren to Dubbo, the last leg of the six-day event.
Cheers from an admiring crowd greeted them at their arrival at Macquarie Home Stay, the beneficiary of the fundraiser on two wheels run by the Rotary Club of Dubbo South.
Donations have already reached more than $134,000 on the tour's online page.
With financial support still flowing in, tour participant and organising committee chairman Mathew Dickerson said on Sunday he was "confident we'll get over the $150,000 mark now".
The biennial event raises funds for Macquarie Home Stay, which provides regional patients and their carer with affordable accommodation while having treatment at Dubbo Hospital.
Mr Dickerson, who was also elected mayor of Dubbo in December, said the last day tested riders with its "pretty tough headwind" with gusts of 30 or 40 kilometres per hour, and it was fantastic to be greeted by a huge crowd at Macquarie Home Stay.
He said some of the 24 riders who started the tour at Mudgee on Monday were from as far away as Sydney and Western Australia, and for some the finish of the ride was their first glimpse of the facility.
"It was great for them just to ride down and you could hear all the people in the peloton saying 'wow, look at all the people here to see us', and the clapping and cheering from all the people," Mr Dickerson said.
"There's a lot of family and friends there, but a lot of people that are associated with Home Stay as well... there would have been at least 100 there, maybe even 150 people there.
"And that's pretty exciting for a group of cyclists who ride along and see that crowd cheering for you, knowing they're all there cheering you on and very appreciative.
"So it's a nice feeling, a, that the ride has finished and you can finally not get up the next morning and sit on a tiny bike seat again, and b, just the fact that you've achieved an objective and fantastic fundraising."
From the Mudgee start, the tour progressed to Mendooran, Armatree, Coonamble, Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Warren, Narromine and finally Dubbo.
Communities showed their generosity along the way, among them Bourke, which held a fundraising auction that collected $20,000 for the cause.
The final night was spent at Warren, where the crowd at the tour event had wanted to hear from the cyclists.
"So I got three of the cyclists, one from Sydney, one from Coonabarabran and one from Mudgee, and they spoke to the crowd about why they were doing it, what it meant to them," Mr Dickerson said.
"There ended up being a few tears, which was not expected, it was just talking about what happened, but some of the cyclists telling their story, a few tears were shed in telling their story about why they were involved and the crowd was very emotional about it all as well.
...some of the cyclists telling their story, a few tears were shed in telling their story about why they were involved and the crowd was very emotional about it all as well.
- Organising committee chairman Mathew Dickerson
"Then they did an auction, and they didn't quite raise the same money as Bourke, but they still raised $6000, which to me is still an incredible amount of money for a very small community to contribute to Macquarie Home Stay.
"Out there, Warren, the usage probably isn't as high, because Warren is a bit closer to Dubbo, it's more the places like the Bourkes and the Cobars that use Macquarie Home Stay more than say Warren, but they were still very appreciate of having Macquarie Home Stay there and certainly contributed significantly to that."
Of the 24 riders who set out, 14 completed every single kilometre of the tour, and others completed most of the sessions, Mr Dickerson said.
The situation of the people who use Macquarie Home Stay proved a motivator for riders during the tough tour.
"As one of the riders said... his bottom was in pain, his arms, his shoulders, his contact points with the bike, but then 'you think tomorrow will be ok, whereas some people who are needing Macquarie Home Stay it's more than just the next day, it's more than just getting off a bike and everything's ok'," Mr Dickerson said.
"It's a long-term treatment, they have no way to opt out of, so when they think about that, they go, well, a bit of pain on my bottom, I can live with that.'
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
