Patrick Dangerfield to ride in Cadel Evans’ Great Ocean Road ride despite on-off cycling affair

PATRICK Dangerfield has a love-hate relationship with the bike but that hasn’t stopped him from taking part in Cadel Evans’ Great Ocean Road People’s Ride.

DO NOT USE WITHOUT HERALD SUN PIC DESK PERMISSION------Champion cyclist Cadel Evans bumps into Geelong AFL player Patrick Dangerfield, on a training ride for his race. Picture: Alex Coppel

PATRICK Dangerfield has a love-hate relationship with the bike.

At Adelaide, the Crows were continually punished by former Australia cycling coach Charlie Walsh, and the pain still lingers.

So when Geelong’s boom recruit met Cadel Evans early one morning at Torquay beach, and the prospect of riding in the Tour de France champion’s Great Ocean Road People’s Ride was raised, Dangerfield’s horror memories came flooding back.

“After four or five seasons with Charlie Walsh at Adelaide, as long as there’s no Ergos (exercise bike) I’m a chance, but the stationary bike isn’t exactly my friend,” Dangerfield said.

“We smashed the bike, it did deter me.”

Evans interjects: “If I can just interrupt, I think anyone, bike rider or non-bike rider, after that length of time training with Charlie would probably hate the bike.”

“Actually, we did do quite a few team activities. We’d do a team bonding weekend, and we did do bike races,” Dangerfield said.

Together, Evans and Dangerfield are putting the Great Ocean Road on the map as much as the 12 Apostles.

Evans’ race is starting to lure some of cycling’s biggest names to the region, while the year-long saga surrounding Dangerfield’s future this year made the tiny hamlet of Moggs Creek a well-known town across the footy world.

They both agree that getting the miles into the legs is much easier along the coast than it is in South Australia.

“It’s pretty easy to do the kilometres down here, Adelaide’s good but down here it’s just a pleasure,” Evans said.

Originally published as Patrick Dangerfield to ride in Cadel Evans’ Great Ocean Road ride despite on-off cycling affair