2018 Race Report

Race Route 2018

Purni Bore, WAA Line, Rig Road, QAA Line, Little Red & Birdsville Hotel.

 SDBC2018 – Top of Little Red

The 2018 event, named WAA Hoo, was the first time in the race history to head East across the WAA Line and QAA Line.

Twenty riders and a single team merged at Purni Bore for the start of the event.  The team event had the riders tagging at WaterStop 2 during each stage.  This gave the teams the opportunity to ride every stage and without the need to endure additional hours in the saddle.

Additional changes this year included a ‘backwards blast’ with the slowest riders starting first followed by consecutive riders at 1min intervals.  The final stage into Birdsville had the riders regroup 1km from town giving them an opportunity to win line honours or to roll through the finish line with mates.

It was also a year for new records:  The Longest day (Day 2 – 145km) and the longest stage (Stage 5 – 86.9km)

A few daily highlights:

Day 1 – Rig Amortise (79.7km) & Erabena Escapade (51.5km)

Historically, Stage 1 has always been fast as riders have fresh legs and the generally cool morning weather makes all the sand dunes ridable.    Once again, stage 1 proved the point as riders maxed their heart rates and felt the burn of lactic acid over the hard packed surface cresting the sand dunes easily.   Rider 18, Derek, took the opportunity after waterstop 1 (about 30km into the event) to race ahead and win the stage and open a 46min gap on the chasing pack of Eckart and Graham.  

Stage 2 came as a shock to many of the riders, crews and officials. 

The rear convoy, lead by sweep, got bogged on the steep soft dunes which caused major delay to sweep times resulting in a few riders waiting patiently at a water stop for the rear convoy to assist and transport them to the race village. 

Despite some challenges for Sweep V1 in keeping up on the steep, soft dunes, riders challenged themselves to reach the finish line before they were caught and as the day turned to night, only eight riders had finished stage 2.  For many, Stage 2 highlighted that the Desert Challenge is both an adventure and a tough event requiring resolve to push the mind and body through fatigue, environmental conditions to ensure that the 100% medal is theirs for claiming.

Stage 1 Winner: Derek Ragless 3hrs 58min

Stage 2 Winners: Derek R & Eckart Altenkamp 3hrs 53min

Day 2 – Waa Hoo (86.7km) & Kuncherinna Meander (58.4km)

Day2 dawned as fatigued riders, crew and officials rallied for the start.

The time gaps between the riders on Stage 3 increased as Aurelia (one of the female riders) rolled over the line in 3rd spot.  Her cheerful smile radiated the thrill of riding the dunes and being out in the desert.

Fourteen riders completed the stage with John P skipping ahead of the sweep vehicle and finishing the stage with 12minutes to spare. 

Frantic support crews buzzed around the riders, boosting their morale and fuelled them up as quickly as they could digest food.  John P, having just completed Stage 3, had 72min to recover before hopping back on the bike for Stage 4.

Eckart, the 2017 SDBC winner, took the opportunity to push hard in an attempt to close the gap gaining six minutes on race leader Derek.  Riding South between the dunes, the swales might have lulled the riders into an easy rhythm however the corrugations ensured that every bone in their bodies would clatter and rattle as the finish line teased them. 

Day 2 would make the SDBC history books as the longest stage in history – a total of 145km with seven riders on 100%

Stage 3 Winners: Derek R & Eckart Altenkamp 5hrs 33min
Stage 4 Winner: Eckart Altenkamp 2hrs 54min

Day 3 – Extinctathon  (86.9km) & Poeppel Pushover (54.1km)

Stage 5 on day 3 set a new record for being the longest stage in the event history with riders completing a whopping 86.9km.

After the last of the big dunes for the morning, it was a mix of smaller dunes and flat runs across salt pans and onto the lunch break at Poeppel Corner

Stage 6 promised an easy start as riders tracked North before turning East and onto the QAA line.  The weather offered no shelter as the sun baked down on the salt pans reflecting the 32deg C heat back onto the riders. 

Day three hinted at a distance PB but eventually closed the two stages off at 141km!  A truly mammoth day in the desert!  Six riders remained on 100%!

Stage 5 Winners: Derek R & Eckart A 4hrs 34min
Stage 6 Winner: Eckart A 3hrs 33min

Day 4 – Q And A Quest (57km) & Backwards Blast (21.8km)

Day 4 was a race to the top of Little Red.  Stage 7 introduced the QAA line with riders being greeted by corrugation after corrugation.  It was a rough track after a busy 4wd season.

Stage 8, aptly named ‘Backswards Blast’ was a reverse start stage that also offered a beer to any rider who could ride up Little Red, the last sand dune before the town of Birdsville. 

The riders started in reverse order with the slowest riders starting at 1minute intervals and the top 6 riders at 2minute intervals.  21km of time trialling as rider after rider clipped in and raced to the finish.  Dillon P (aged 17) took the opportunity and raced hard to ensure that no one would catch him.  He took the stage honours of being the first rider in 2018 to cycle up ‘Little Red’, a long steep dune offering the support crew and officials a chance to cheer the riders up the last dune before Birdsville.

Stage 7 Winners: Derek R & Eckart A 3hrs 52min
Stage 8 Winner: Dillon P (first rider) & Eckart A 1hrs 12min (fastest time)

Day 5 – Look to Windward (10km) & Birdsville Bar Blast (34km)

The Easterly wind had held off during the first four days however it came to taunt the race village with fine sand getting sieved through tent mesh windows.  Everything was covered in a fine layer of sand but that hardly mattered as the race village woke for the final day… and Grant (Sweep V2) fired up his vacuum cleaner to get the sand out of his tent…

Stage 9, ‘Look to Windward’ had one aim for the 1 hour stage – having fun riding big sand dunes on a fat bike.  Tim G, having ridden a few years back was remembering the suffering and wondering why he had opted to return but after four days of riding, he made the most of the short stage and took the stage win.  Team photos on the summit of Little Red highlighted beaming smiles as riders knew that only 34km remained.

The last stage dragged to a finish as the wind haggled the riders and ensured it was not an easy ride into Birdsville.  The riders stopped 1 kilometre outside of Birdsville for the final race to the finish as an optional sprint for line honours or simply join your mates and cross the finish line together.

A final word…

In closing, a new route across the Simpson Desert has now been traced which offers a mix of big dunes, salt pans and open swales.  The 2018 event was more than a bike race – it was an action packed event offering the riders a sporting challenge and the crews a 4wd adventure.

Officials worked well to facilitate the multiple changes that the desert bring to a remote event including reshuffling roles to accommodate the environmental challenges of the desert.  Many thanks to all our officials for contributing to a successful event.  Without their time and effort, the SDBC would not be an annual event.

Overall the 2018 race continued the tradition of being a great event for all involved with all the usual doses of challenge and adventure that our riders, support crews and officials have come to expect.  We’ve got lots of ideas to take into future races and want to thank all of our participants and especially this year’s Heslin Award winners (The Army Team) and our Bean Award Winners (David and Dr Su) for their grand spirit of the race and helping to make it something truly special.

As we bring the 2018 event to a close it is a well-known SDBC fact that Unicorns* are known to frequent the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge and in closing, may the words of the 2018 Unicorn be true for the years ahead:

I have made the dunes magically sink
Before every rider they will become slightly down hill
And very very firm… very firm
Yeah, with a tail wind
And the sun will be obscured by a light film of cloud
And sometimes when the riders get a little hot,
there will be a light drizzle which will cool them
And when they get into the water stop,
there will be a mountain of coke,
frozen watermelon,
ice creams and salty snacks
Including vegemite on crackers.

*The 2018 Unicorn made an appearance on Day 4 and morphed into Doc Su who insisted the above was what Unicorns were for  – before being ushered away for her meds.

 2018 SDBC Birdsville finish line

Results & Awards

Outright Placings

PlacingNo.Name DistanceTime%
1 DerekRagless540 km33:13100
2 EckartAltenkamp540 km33:45100
3 AureliaStrozik540 km37:16100
4 BradFisher540 km38:39100
5 FrankStrini540 km39:10100
6 DerekChan540 km40:40100
7 StuartDerham519 km36:21 
8 TimGrimes471 km28:46 
9 TroyReddick442 km25:03 
10 JohnMoreton434 km21:54 
11 Martin 421km  
12 JohnPreller398km  
13 Blair 384km  
14 Oliver 382km  
15 AndrewPhillips376km  
16 Steve 267km  
17 GrahamHancox252km  
18 Kylie 194km  

 

Age Group Winners

Placing Name   
Under 30’s Dillon Philips   
Under 40’s Derek Ragless   
Under 50’s Aurelia Strozik   
Over 50’s Eckart Altenkamp   

The Bean Award (Presented by the Medical Director)

The ‘Bean Award’ has been awarded since 2000 to those unique individuals who display characteristics that epitomise the true aims and spirit of the race – to foster camaraderie, fellowship and goodwill.

The 2018 award is presented to David & Su in recognition of the contribution to the event over the last number of years.  Along with covering two roles this year (WS2 and Medic2), David & Su assisted stranded riders on Day 1 (Stage 2), feeding them and keeping them warm until support vehicles arrived and again on Day 4 when a vehicle broke down in the desert and needed assistance.  After the last rider has ridden past, David and Su headed out to the stranded vehicle to offer assistance.  They eventually drove into camp around 1130pm and resumed official duties.

The Heslin Award (presented by the Race Director)

Since 1994, The ’Heslin Endurance Award’ recognises the achievements which don’t show up in the overall results but are about overcoming a huge personal challenge.

As an example, in 2001, Graham Bug cycled 50kms after his seat broke and he went on to complete 100% the race. The Heslin Award is not necessarily awarded every year.

The 2018 Heslin Endurance Award is presented to the army team based on the following merits exhibited by the team:

To the riders:  For recognition that no matter the external factors – arriving late in camp, fatigue, race nutrition, saddle sores – the riders started the stage.  It is also recognised that teaming up is better than not starting at all.

The resilience the riders showed is recognised.

To the Army support crew:  For recognition that ‘Yes, what next?’ was core to the team.  ‘Tail-end-Charlie’ role in collecting all course markers and props,  Stage 2 vehicle recoveries and late night / early morning drives to retrieve stranded support crews after a mechanical breakdown.

Overall, the team displayed endurance characteristics that reflect the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge brand and values.

Congratulations Army Team.

Rider Profiles 2018

Without the riders, the SDBC would not exist.

Derek Ragless

 SDBC2018 Winner – Derek R

Meet this year’s winner Derek Ragless.

Day one saw Derek head out and set a dominating lead, he was powering through water stops with a large margin and was even spotted pulling bunny hops and showing off for the Medic 1 crew.

A consummate and focussed rider Derek made the incredibly difficult look easy through sheer grit and determination. After setting his strong lead he set out to keep other contenders close to maintain the lead. Definitely one of our quieter riders, he was a great support to some of our other riders and never failed to be polite and respectful as a competitor. Well done on an amazing ride Derek!

Eckart Altenkamp

 SDBC2018 – Eckart

Meet Eckart Altenkamp (sometimes known as Ecki), our runner up at this year’s race. Eckart was our defending champion and after taking out last year’s race he came back this year to continue to build his experiences in the desert.

Fined for smiling too much last year, he continued the trend this year consistently arriving at water stops and finish lines beaming. You couldn’t fault Eckart’s attitude and passion for experiencing the race to the full.

Well done on a wonderful race Eckart and thanks for being a great sport (sorry about the unicorn helmet on day 5).

Aurelia Storzik

 SDBC2018 – Aurelia

Our third place winner, overall women’s winner and under 50’s age category winner as well as the first woman to place in our 32 year history is Aurelia Strozik.

After a number of years supporting her partner Jason, she finally gave in to years of peer pressure to come and ride herself.

Aurelia was a joy to have on the course and as well as being called out as a fierce competitor, strong rider and total boss the other refrain was that she was always bubbly and happy (well almost always).

She came in well prepared with a strong strategy and executed it beautifully. We’re proud of you Aurelia and stoked to finally have a woman in our rankings. You rock!!!

Race your mates…

 Bairnsdale Crew

Meet the Bairnsdale crew! These guys came in strong with Stuart Derham demonstrating what seems to be his usual style by smashing out of the gates hard and always having a laugh and chat with the water stop crews along the way. It’s hard not to admire the commitment and dedication of these guys, sometimes seen riding together and motivating each other and others riding their own race.
Brad and John became affectionately known as the fisherman due to their distinctive shirts and Frank was famous for his consistency and winning his private battle to keep his 100%.
All of them rode extremely well but in disappointing news for John and Stuart (but great news for their new fans at the race) they missed their 100% so we’re hoping to see them back again.
However, the inspiration of the daily dose of Thunderstruck sung and played by their support crew clearly paid off for Brad and Frank hitting their stride and keeping the 100%!
Stuart was found under a tree sipping what he insists was soda water out of a champagne flute…we suspect this was the end for him. John was beaten by the brutality of the endless dunes on day 1.

The inspirational part was that neither of them stopped going out hard every single stage.

Derek Chan

 SDBC2018 – Derek C

Meet our final solo 100% medallist for 2018! Derek was never seen without a smile on his face (or was it a grimace?). An ultra endurance runner normally he took on the challenge of riding the desert and did it brilliantly!

It was amazing to watch his perseverance and grit in the face of what was clearly some significant pain (and they say running is bad for the knees).

One of our favourite things about Derek was the way he was often seen riding and chatting with others. We suspect he was one the most social on the course but always unassuming at the water stops. Great work Derek, an amazing accomplishment and something to be truly proud of!

The only team in 2018: Gillian and Simon

 Simon and Gillian

With a team time equal to the second place solo time, Gillian and Simon were fierce and focussed competitors!

These two were absolute power houses on the course, smashing through water stops and riding hard. Not to say that they didn’t chat and have a laugh whenever they were waiting for the change over and it was great getting to know them.
Simon came in sick and it was awesome to see their teamwork to decide who would ride what sections and leverage each other’s strengths.

Thanks for being awesome competitors and paving the way for future teams by setting such a strong benchmark!

The Army Team

 SDBC2018 – Army support vehicle (Mercedes G Wagon)

Why is there an army truck in the desert you ask?

Well because Blair and Martin are legends and organised an army team and conned Ollie, Kylie and Bambi into riding as well, along with an epic support team!

All in the name of resilience training, community engagement and raising money for the RFDS – they ticked off their goals in spades!

In every race there are people who aren’t born riders but whose spirit, perseverance and pain inspires you and that was Blair and Marty. They started every stage and rode until they finished or the sweep caught them, either way they never gave up (as much as they may have wanted to).

Then there was 19 year old Ollie who only admitted after the race that he was not loving it yet he still got on the bike and rode hard every time while being a happy presence through the water stops and never whinging!

Bambi, a favourite on the course due to his choice of a plus bike (instead of a fattie, which is either an act of bravery or stupidity…) and cheerful demeanour even when his knee blew up was a total legend and always had a smile and laugh along the way. Not to mention the new record holder in the camel pie eating contest with 7 pies under his belt and willing to go back for more!

Marty

And finally, Kylie who felt under prepared but still rode almost 200km across a desert like a boss and never wanted to stop. Her devastation at getting a mechanical affected everyone who witnessed it and her perseverance to get back on the bike inspired us all.

Finally, the crew, they did late nights, early mornings, extra jobs to support the race and kept everything humming along the way while supporting their riders! As a race committee and officials, we cannot thank the team enough for their contribution to a successful race! You guys rock and definitely ticked off your goals along the way! Can’t wait to see you again next year!

Dillon Philips

 SDBC2018 – Dillon P

Have you met Dillon Phillips cause he is awesome!!!

At 17, Dillon is the youngest rider we can remember and sought special dispensation from the race director to ride this year. He saved for his bike, talked his dad Lindsay into supporting (we hear it wasn’t that hard), trained like a boss and turned up and crossed the line first in two stages!

Whilst he didn’t get his 100% this year, his riding was exceptional and he proved that you don’t have to be older to have endurance. A joy to see on course, he was a focussed rider with a smile and laugh to be shared with anyone he came across once the riding business was done.

A true competitor, we’re looking forward to him coming back after his 18th birthday so we can buy him the beer we owe for making it up little red without putting a foot down!

Tim Grimes

 SDBC2018 – Tim G

Meet Tim Grimes, or Grim Times or Grimey as we affectionately call him. If you’ve ever wanted to meet a man who just loves suffering this is your guy!

Tim rode as hard as he could every time he got on the bike and you could guarantee there was nothing left in the tank when he reached the finish line (or met the sweep).

This was his second ride in the desert and his strategy of setting small goals and beating them was fun to watch…of course he was less of a fan of some of the water stops who kept telling him to keep going but they knew being told ‘Suffer Grimey’ was just the motivation he needed.

Well done Tim, you were awesome to see out there beating your demons and riding your own race! We’re already looking forward to seeing you next time!

Troy Reddick

 SDBC2018 – Paul & Troy

Oh Troy, you crazy dude! Having let us know before the race just how sick you were, we were so impressed when despite this you turned up and rode your hardest!

Despite the pain and trying to overcome your illness you were always good for a laugh (or was that a groan at our bad jokes?). One of our favourite things was watching you enjoy time with your brother (and support crew) Paul. If you want to know what a personal cheer squad looks like, Paul’s your man!

Thanks for being a legend out there and showing the grit the race is all about, love that you and Paul are already planning your return!

Andrew & John

 Claire, Andrew, John & Wendy

Meet John and Andrew, two of the most gentlemanly riders you could ask for! No matter what was happening both were unfailingly polite and whilst they arrived at the start line together it was fantastic to see each of them ride their own race.

Andrew, with admirably the thickest sunscreen we’ve ever seen, glowing yellow shirt and his painted hat and helmet adding to the charm should definitely get the SunSmart award. But more than that, he was always upbeat and gently spoken even when things didn’t go to plan and the sweep crept up on him. His smile was always a welcomed sight and he was never seen without it, no doubt providing many moments of reassurance to those he came across on the course.

John was a quiet and consistent achiever whose contribution to the race and fellow riders definitely deserves a special call out. Often seen riding with Kylie, the support they provided to each other was fantastic to watch and I suspect is part of his ‘leave no man or woman behind’ style. He even carried her shoes up little red! John started every stage and never once said a negative word or complained about his pain (at least not that we heard). Even more fantastic was John’s fundraising efforts at over $12,300 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service!!! What a legend!!!

The Poem of 2018 written by Grant Palmer

You can also check out the Audio Version here:: http://bit.ly/sdbc2018-poemAnd download the PDF version here:  http://bit.ly/sdbc2018-lyric

Some time in late September,
When winter’s run its course.
Cyclists are getting restless.
There’s a “stirring” in the force.

Training’s almost over.
Packing’s in full swing.
Time to move along now,
From that lazy feel of Spring.

For there’s movement cross the nation,
In a dedicated band,
Of feisty fat bike riders,
Who can smell the desert sand.

They’ve abandoned friends and family,
To train without a pause.
For to cross the Simpson Desert,
Is their focus and their cause.

They’re heading for the Simpson,
To spend “Five Days in Hell”.
There’s dunes and sand and stinking heat.
There’s stinking flies as well.

Some are simply quite naive.
Not knowing what’s in store.
For some there’s no excuse at all.
They’ve done this thing before.

They come from right across the land,
To ride with grit and gumption.
And so to know just who they are,
A tiny introduction.

Quite a bunch from Adelaide,
With little else to do.
But ride about on fat bikes.
Their focus clear and true.

There’s Derek, who’s been training hard.
Tall, and lean, and thin.
He wasn’t out there just to ride.
He was there to win.

Graham, who sets a fearsome pace.
An athlete through and through.
Last year not just to ride the race.
But ride to get there too.

There’s Gillian and Simon.
And the reason they were there.
To demonstrate togetherness.
And ride it as a pair.

Aurelia, now here’s a thing.
She rides with flair and style.
She thrashed the desert sand and heat.
And did it with a smile.

Tim, who came from Melbourne,
Was rider twenty one.
He slogged across the desert.
So glad when it was done.

‘Twas well Tim joined the SA mob,
To elevate their mood.
He even bought a chef along.
To lavish them with food.

A new face at the starting line.
The youngest by a mile.
Had saved, and bought a fat bike,
And rode the thing with style.

At the tender age of seventeen,
A pat on Dillon’s back.
He sure deserves a medal,
For just giving it a crack.

Andrew came from Melbourne.
And we’re lucky he was there.
As he brought along, as his support,
His cheerful daughter Claire.

She learnt so much of desert driving,
Dunes and sand and more.
But alas, oh dear,what have we here.
A dint in poor Dad’s door.

She had a special grasp of maths.
A new and clever brand.
Though clearly she explained to us.
We still don’t understand.

Next from out of Queensland,
The army came at large.
Very hard for us to see.
They’re all in camouflage.

They had some very fancy gear.
The mighty six wheel truck.
But just like all the rest of us.
So easy to get stuck.

They had a few home comforts,
To keep them nice and clean.
They even had a shower,
And shiny wash machine.

Eleven of them were Aussies,
And one of them a Scot.
Five of them were girls,
And seven of them were not.

Five of them were riders,
Who came to test their mettle.
To push their bikes right up the dunes.
Then jump back on and pedal.

A treat to have the army there.
Their women and their men.
We’ll all be disapointed,
If they don’t come back again.

Now quite a mob from Gippsland.
With Brad, and Frank, and John.
With Stuart and a hefty team,
Who came to help them on.

Their riders and their drivers,
And their wives formed quite a club.
As they ground across the desert.
Towards the Birdsville Pub.

John and Troy from Canberra.
That cold and windy place.
Decided they had what it takes,
To come and join the race.

They trained all year on icy hills.
Till they felt they had it beat.
But there’s nothing to prepare them,
For the scorching desert heat.

Eckart comes from Sydney.
And so does Derek Chan.
Both packed up their fat bikes.
To join the desert clan.

Eckart’s done this race before.
In fact last year he won.
Back to the desert once again.
To strain beneath the sun.

Then the other rider.
Part of the Sydney clan.
Persistent, always in there.
We’re talking Derek Chan.

We watched him cross the line.
We watched him punch the air.
But alas it’s not quit over.
And Derek’s not quite there.

He’s now discovered “nuts and bolts”.
Oh Derek what a shame.
As now that you’re addicted,
Your life won’t be the same.

So pub night at the auction.
Above the bidding racket.
Derek put his hand up,
And bought a giant packet.

So here’s his final challenge.
No mind the gastric pain.
He has to down the packet.
Before he boards the plane.

They come to meet the challenge.
Every woman,every bloke.
But for this whole thing to work,
It takes lots of other folk.

There are people from all over.
Come to see what they can do.
To keep the riders moving.
To see they make it through.

So for this race to happen.
It takes a helping crew.
For some idea of who they are,
We’ll mention just a few.

Martin is the boss man.
He has the toughest roll.
If he’s not right on top of it,
The strain will take its toll.

He’s ridden this awful fat bike race.
He’s been out here before.
He’s witnessed all that could go wrong.
He knows what’s in store.

The days are hot, the sand is soft.
There’s cars stuck in the middle.
Martin takes the show in hand,
And plays it like a fiddle.

The bikes, the cars, the people.
The whole entire club.
Martin takes the motley crew,
From Purni to the Pub.

Now Martin, he will steer the ship,
Across the desert sand.
But he gets some help along the way.
From quite a little band.

Alan and Neil leave early.
Way before the sun.
They set their little flags to show,
Just where the race is run.

In the early morning darkness,
Their chatter can be heard.
As they spy just there an Albatross.
Or some lesser spotted bird.

Jack and Jim the next to leave.
Their timing must be fine.
They must be at the end before,
The riders cross the line.

Then Hippo heads off in the dark.
To waddle up the dune.
Watching closely in the mirror.
For Howard coming soon.

Howard runs a water stop.
He’s always number three.
Relaxing Neath the awning.
No place he’d rather be.

Now Howard’s worth a mention.
A very handy man.
If you ever need an axle,
Or a crankshaft, or a fan.

If you have something that’s broken.
Like a piston, or a shoe.
He’ll have the parts to fix it.
He’ll know just what to do.

If you’d like to hear a story,
‘Bout something he has done.
Best pull up a chair, relax.
Beyond the setting sun.

Ben’s the boss of medic stuff.
And when the race is run,
You’ll be thankful for his paddle stick.
And how he fixed your bum.

He’ll weigh you in the morning.
And when the day is done.
He’ll check you out with just a glance.
To see you’re having fun.

Now Bronwyn is amazing.
She creates a happy place.
She keeps the whole thing working.
Without her there’s no race.

Now though she may seem cheerful.
If you ever cross that line.
Be sure that Bron’ will soon find out.
And there will be a fine.

Bron’ is also President.
She works throughout the year.
To dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s.
Without her you’re not here.

Dave and Sue are medic two.
So lucky that’s a rhyme.
Dave and Sue, did water stop two.
And there’s another rhyme.

David’s a committee man,
He’s also a mechanic.
No matter what your breakdown.
With David, there’s no panic.

He’ll pull your engine all apart.
And spread it on the clay.
He’ll put it back together.
And there, you’re on your way.

Nick and Nicky are medic three.
They’ve never been before.
Such a treat they came along.
Let’s hope they’re back for more.

When they came to the pub that night,
We thought she wasn’t there.
But yes it’s Nicky after all.
With longer straighter hair.

The sun still not ascended.
But the day’s not far away.
Martin has the show in hand.
They’ll soon be on their way.

Five thirty in the morning,
And the convoy pulls away.
Along the sandy bumpy course.
Prepared to meet the day.

Past the waiting water stops.
Where the track will twist and bend.
To set up just across the line.
Where the morning stage will end.

Six AM, the sun just up.
The riders have been weighed.
They climb aboard their bikes on which,
A fortune has been paid.

They race across the desert now.
From dune to endless dune.
They curse the heat, the sand, the flies.
It just can’t end too soon.

Now the riders have to keep in mind,
There’s a pace they have to keep.
For lurking close behind them.
Is the ever present sweep.

Does he have compassion?
Not even just an ounce.
Sag behind the bunch a bit.
The sweep will surely pounce.

He leads the final convoy.
He keeps them to his rear.
The riders quickly glance behind.
The sweep’s the one to fear.

And no, it’s not just riders.
As once there in the sun,
He crept up close behind them.
And swept up medic one.

Charlie is the last to leave.
The last one in the line.
For where we’ve been and had our fun.
He’ll make sure there’s no sign.

Afternoon, the scorching sun.
We do it all again.
Bums are sore, it’s not much fun.
They start to show the strain.

They grind along the sandy track.
They strain round every bend.
Across the scorching clay pans.
Whenever will this end.

This goes on for days and days.
There’s sand,and dunes,and dust.
But riders keep their focus.
To Birdsville Pub or bust.

Saturday is different.
No Sandy tracks, instead,
They ride their bikes atop the dune,
Along the mighty Red.

From Little Red to Big Red,
They skim along the crest.
Not so much to win this time,
But just to do their best.

The view up here is awesome.
There’s occasionally a spill.
But to ride this giant dune’s,
A privilege and a thrill.

The final race to Birdsville,
Passing Howard by the side.
They cross the line beside the pub,
To end this epic ride.

There’s backslapping and accolades,
They’re so glad to be here,
It’s surely time to celebrate,
With Camel pies and beer.

The hard work is all over.
We all go to the pub.
Tell yarns about the highlights,
And line up for some grub.

It’s credit to the riders.
Not only those who won.
But to those who helped the show along,
Now this year’s race is done.

For those of us who’ve been before,
We sometimes wonder when,
With dust and dunes and flies and sand,
We’ll ever come again.

Early mornings, Sleepless nights,
We’ve surely had our fill.
So will we be here next year?
You can bet your life we will.

And what about these athletes.
Will they ever dig so deep.
As to ride once more these shifting sands.
And scorn the dreaded sweep.

Many thanks to the 2018 Volunteers and Officials who contribute to keep the race going…

 SDBC2018 – Race Officials

Desert Challenge CommitteeBron, Michael, Anthony, David, Martin, Graham, Kerryn, Alan
Race DirectorMartin Solms
Time KeeperJack Norton & James Stephens
Course MarkerAlan Hancox & Neil Thies
SweepSnowy, Heather & Corey (Day 1) Grant & Annette (Days 2,3,4,5)
Water-Stop CoordinatorsGrant & Pam Palmer (Water Stop 1)
Water-Stop CrewsRay & Alexander (Water Stop 2 – volunteered but vehicle issues hindered them arriving)
 Greg Norman & Howard Taylor (Water Stop 3)
Medical DirectorBen Hew
MedicsSuyin Tan & David Griffin
 Nicole McDonald & Nick Bibby
Tail End CharliesTony (Army team)
Base CampAlan Keenleside
Social MediaBronwyn Stephens & Ed Bourke
Film CrewChristian & Rasmus Altenkamp
 Grant & Annette Hawksworth

 

Fundraising Report

Thanks to riders, officials, support crews, donors, families and friends for your generosity and enthusiasm in supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service and in helping make the 2018 Desert Challenge a success in every way.

The riders, support crew and officials has done an amazing job to raise a total amount of $40,000.

Everyday HeroAmount
John Preller$12,302
Just one more sand dune$6,492
Rillsy Rides the Simpson$3,399
All Sand, No Ocean$2,119
Troy and Paul at Simpson$2,114
The Directors Chair$1,966
Team Sandcrabs$1,921
The Magnificent 7$1,794
Eckart goes riding the Simpson$1,477
Graham$1,407
Dune Buggy Derek$1,065
Dillon’s Race Across the Simpson$563
 $36,627
  
  
Desert Challenge IncAmount
Charity Auction$3,885.00
Fines Tin & Thank you’s$tbc
 $tbc
  
 Combined Total:$tbc

 

 

SDBC 2025: 30 September to 4 October 2025