A few minor hiccups didn’t stop Crow Andy Otten from completing Stage Three of the Tour Down Under as part of the Beat Cancer Tour on Thursday.
Otten, development coach Ryan O’Keefe and Head of Football David Noble were among a group of 25 Beat Cancer Tour riders, who embarked on the 145-kilometre trek from Norwood to Paracombe.
Otten, who is five months into his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction, overcame a minor fall to reach the finish line which was situated at the peak of Torrens Hill Road.
“It was exhausting, but great fun. The hill finish was just ridiculous. It was just straight up and felt like it would never end,” Otten said.
“I had a disastrous day on the bike. I had a little tumble, but nothing serious fortunately, just a couple of grazes. I also had a chain fall off and a punctured tyre, so I had the trifecta. The guys and girls in the pack were giving me plenty of grief.”
In total, Otten and the Crows contingent covered about 180 kilometres in the saddle.
A keen cyclist, the recently-retired O’Keefe was the standout of the Adelaide group.
“Ryan was flying. I think he came second in our group or riders. He took off at the hill finish with another bloke, and they were fighting for first place,” Otten said.
“Nobes is a good little rider, but he and I weren’t racing up the hill. I couldn’t have raced if I wanted to – I had nothing left! As well as doing the course, you have to ride to the start line and then back again, so it was about 180 kilometres all up.
“Thank goodness we’ve got a few days off because I think I’ll need every single minute of it. But I loved the experience and it’s for a great cause in the Cancer Council.”
Otten capped off a big day by meeting Ambassadors Jack Bobridge, Annette Edmondson and Alex Edmondson. Bobridge was the Stage One winner and held the TDU Ochre leader’s jersey for the first two days of the Tour.
A teammate of Bobridge on the Uni SA team, Alex Edmondson is a track world champion and Commonwealth Gold Medallist, as is older sister Annette, who won the sprinters jersey in the Women’s TDU Tour earlier in the week.
O’Keefe, Noble and Crows senior projects consultant Nathan Godfrey will back up by riding Stage Five of the Beat Cancer Tour on Saturday.
The Crows quartet was keen to support Cancer Council SA following the tragic loss of much-loved strategy coach, Dean Bailey, last March. Bailey, who was 47, passed away after a brave battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
It’s not too late to donate to our Beat Cancer Ride team.
The Beat Cancer Tour gives riders an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride the TDU like a pro. The joint event between Events South Australia and Cancer Council SA, allows a limited group of (up to) 30 riders, take part in every stage as a united peloton to raise awareness in the fight to beat cancer.
