Australia has a reputation as one of the toughest places on Earth, and the toughest Aussies mix it up on the sporting field. Their football players don’t wear padding, their iron men swim in waters that may or may not contain sharks, and their cyclists head to the desert. If you think you’re made of the right stuff, consider signing up for this year’s Simpson Desert Bike Challenge.
This is not a bike race for the faint-hearted.
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The annual race covers some 580 kilometers in the Australian Outback, with riders traveling from Purnie Bore in South Australia to Birdsville in Queensland over five days. It’s raced from the end of September through to early October, but don’t expect pleasant springtime weather. Temperatures regularly reach 30 degrees Celsius, although it can seem even hotter with the desert sun beating down. It doesn’t often rain at this time of year, although when you’re riding you might pray for it. I wouldn’t pray too hard though, as you’ll then have bogs to contend with.
The weather conditions aren’t the only factors which make this remote race challenging. The ground of the outback isn’t like any European race course. It’s rough and rugged, almost like riding over corrugated iron. No wonder the locals call the track Satan’s Velodrome!
If you think you’ve got the stomach for it, you can enter the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge using the online entry form. It costs a several hundred dollars to take part, but monies raised benefit the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
