Terra Australis rider/bike/gear profiles...
Terra Australis Bike Epic gets underway this week 6:00am Thursday 1 September. The race tracker is now live on Maprogress and will be the link to keep an eye on rider progress from Cape York down to Wilsons Promontory….. 6,250k
The Bikepacking Ultra Racing Australia facebook page which will be the principal ‘media’ coverage for the race…. sorry no camera crew, drones or live reporting from out on the course!
The tracking page link is here https://terraaustralis22.maprogress.com
and at the top of the Breathtakingevents.info intro web page.
RIDER BIKE GEAR PROFILES FOR 2022
DAVID WAUGH Age: 52 Armidale NSW
David originally signed on for Terra Australis back in 2019 and like many of us has encountered life disruptions, work and Covid border closures along the way to finally get to the start line in 2022.
Although David has a depth of bike, trail running, hiking and navigation experience he is a bikepacking rookie racer. That said in 2020 he bikepacked toured the Bicentennial National Trail 3,330 klm so has a very up close experience of the terrain he’s about to encounter. In 1996 he competed in the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge. Throw in a raft of very competitive [read fast] 50k and 100k ultra marathon trail runs …. Glasshouse, Washpool, Ultra Trail Australia [Katoomba] and you have a man with a skill set to get the business done in Terra Australis22.
BIKE
Brand: Drongo Model: Zaquella
Wheel size: 700c Tyre Size: 47c
Front Chain ring[s]: 36 Rear Sprocket: 10-46
Battery/Dynamo SonDeluxe
Frame Bag: Blackburn + Apidura fork
Seat Bag: Blackburn
Water capacity: 4.5l
Sleep: Bivvy/Tent
PAUL LESTER Age:54 Cooma NSW
Retired rodeo bull rider and regular name on the start lists of multi day bikepacking races. Paul tackled the Terra Australis route in 2019 and was the only rider still standing when he crashed out just north of Coffs Harbour after 4250k. Paul also raced the abridged Terra Australis border locked Byron Bay-Canberra route in 2020. The remaining 800k of the TA route is in his backyard and most of it he’ll have an intimate knowledge of. Add two US Tour Divides 4,250k a Monaro Cloudride 1000k, multiple Alaskan fat bike races over a decade of north American winters and you have one very experienced rider. Paul’s flying up on race eve from 0° mornings in Cooma to some balmy 30°c Cape York temps and will acclimatise on the job. Riding a dual suspension Trek 29’r who would argue against him….
BIKE
Brand: Trek Model: Top Fuel
Wheel size: 29 inch Tyre Size: Vittoria Mezcal 2.25
Front Chain ring[s]: 34 Rear Sprocket: 10-50
Battery/Dynamo: Klite
Frame Bag: Bike Bag Dude - custom
Seat Bag: Restrap
Water capacity: 6.0 ltr
Sleep kit: Bivvy
MERIDITH QUINLAN Sydney NSW
Meredith Quinlan and the Terra Australis Bike Epic are a perfect match … there is no better skilled more determined ultra endurance woman capable of completing the challenge than Meredith. A multi disciplined skill set honed over two decades of trail running, hiking, navigating mixing in 6,12, 24h cross country mountain bike endurance races resulting in a glittering trophy cabinet of results … often finishing on the podium amongst the men. She is a ‘5 Year Legend’ on the Ultra Trail Australia Hall of Fame finishers list. In 2019 Meredith entered her first unsupported bikepacking race completing the Monaro Cloudride 1000 finishing 5th in 5d:11h against 14 male racers. Later the same year she completed the truncated unsupported Race to the Rock 3000k [Port Douglas-Alice Springs].
A meticulous planner. It’s on the record, when Meredith starts Meredith finishes!
https://www.thebusinesswomanmedia.com/runs 290km-bikes-1000km-says-benefit-women-getting-fit-outweighs-sacrifices
BIKE
Brand: Curve Model: Downrock, Sram eagle.
Wheel size: 29 inch Tyre Size: 29 x 2.20
Front Chain ring[s]: 32 Rear Sprocket: 11-50
Battery/Dynamo: Son Dynamo KLite + 2 Nitecore 10,000s
Frame Bag: BikeBagDude + two BBD Gas Tanks
Seat Bag: Topeak [sml]
Water capacity: 6 ltr
Sleep kit: Bivvy
WICHARD VAN OOSTERBOSCH Age: 62 Kohukohu, New Zealand
Wichard will be racing under his native Dutch flag though he been a 30 year resident of New Zealand…. he says “you can take the Dutchman out of Holland but you can’t take Holland out of a Dutchman”
A rookie bikepacking ultra racer, Wichard made contact in May on discovering the Terra Australis and after corresponding with 2018 TA winner Steve Halligan was in right from the get go. Wichard raced bikes in his youth and returned to the saddle for touring in the past decade doing 6,000k and 7,000k touring rides the length of New Zealand and across Europe. He’s well prepared for the challenge and has been diligent in prepping his route cues, food, water logistics and trimming gear for faster riding. Racing without the distractions of social media, just taking an open mind to experience the adventure.
BIKE
Brand: Specialized Model: Chisel Expert, Sram NX eagle comp.
Wheel size: 29 inch Tyre Size: Vittoria Mezcal 29 x 2.35
Front Chain ring[s]: 30 Rear Sprocket: 11-50 12 gears
Battery/Dynamo: PedalCell
Frame Bag: Revelate - full frame
Seat Bag: Ortlieb
Bar roll : Ortlieb
Aerobars : Profile design 45/25C
Water capacity: 4.75 ltr
Sleep kit: Big Agness matt, Bag: Mountain equipment classic 300
Tarptent Lithium 1solo.
TAYLOR HERRON Age: 32 Birregurra Vic
Current Address: BikeLife
Two years ago Taylor made the move to live off the bike and go touring. Covid soon put an end to that idea but after some border relaxations he got moving again last year. Along the way he discovered the Terra Australis and made the call to bikepack tour up to the tip at Cape York find a phone box throw on a cape and emerge as a superman bikepacking racer and race the TA route back home to Victoria.
He’s been sharing his journey north with me, riding some sections of the TA route and updating track conditions and generally doing photo shoots of bike and young man.
In the usual way I’ve been collecting rider/gear/bike profile pics of everyone racing … with Taylor I already had a fair collection. Undeterred our text communication went like this ….
Taylor: “Do you need any photos/info about me, bike/gear for the promo”
Me: C’mon I’ve got enough… I’m not running a dating service..
Taylor: Surely you must know some single ultra nutter ladies you can introduce me to?
Me: Yep, they all want to meet you at Wilson’s Prom…. or at worst get your sperm donor ID.
Taylor: Aarrh! I knew there must be a prize at the end! Carrot always trumps the whip!
So there you have it young ladies a possible happy ending if Taylor makes it to Wilsons Prom
BIKE
Brand: Vivente Model: The Gibb
Wheel size: 700 x 22mm Tyre Size: Conti Raceking Protection
Front Chain ring[s]: 39T Gates Rear Sprocket: 19T Gates/Rohloff
Battery/Dynamo: SP Dynamo/ PedalCell/ 20kMa Cache/ KLite MTBv2l
Frame Bag: Revelate Designs Ripio
Seat Bag: Revelate Designs Spinelock
Water capacity: 7 ltr
Sleep kit: Tent