At 0600hrs on Saturday the 18th of March, 2017, I was sat on the bike, at the South Mole Lighthouse in Fremantle, at the start of the Inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race. There were some words, some rain, and then it started! But then, for me, it finished at the base of Crystal Brook Road my seat post gave way aggravating a pre-existing injury from chronic to acute, and that was me done. I basically one legged it to York, just to convince myself it was just an ache, but in reality, I’d just spent the past 6 months rehabbing it, so I knew better. Life!
I’ve had a few best intentions to go back and restart over the years, right down to booking and paying for the flight and accommodation for 2023 – it turns out that it takes me 3 or so months to kick the lethargy associated with COVID, so less than no training – meant a no go.
The 2024 edition has just concluded and I find myself with resource, (tentative) support and time to both train and do the actual ride some justice. So, the opportunity to not only start the 2025 edition, but also to finally complete the 2017 ride and to keep a promise made in 2016.
So, at 0622hrs on the 15th of March 2025, I will be at or as near to the South Mole Lighthouse as I can get and ready to go…
The hype and buildup won’t be the same, there won’t be a pre dawn chat with Paul Ardill or the shout of ‘Shaaa’ as Rhino powers past or a quick route consult with Caveman Chris… But there will most definitely be nerves, new challenges, new faces and experiences to add to and build on those memories.
And with all that said, my helmet is now in the ring…
https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com
https://ipwr24.maprogress.com will update to new tracking page when it becomes live.