Santos Tour Down Under 2019: Former Olympic cyclist Patrick Jonker and ‘average punter’ Rob Yates road test the Challenge Tour

It’s one of the great challenges for all South Australian cycling enthusiasts — so to give competitors a heads-up on what to expect on the Challenge Tour, we got cycling great Patrick Jonker and average punter Rob Yates to check out the course.

• Santos Tour Down Under 2019 — Full Coverage

Patrick Jonker sure does know his roads.

He’s ridden his bike on them all over the world.

But what makes South Australian roads so special? Quite simple: It’s the challenge of them.

The views in the distance. The camaraderie of those riding them alongside you. And the chance to raise money for the Cancer Council SA.

The Pro: Patrick Jonker and the Punter: Rob Yates ride the TDU challenge route from Glenelg to Strathalbyn. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

On January 19, Jonker will join the masses taking on the Challenge Tour, a mass participation cycling event where the amateur riders have the chance to tackle the same route as the professional riders as they journey from Glenelg to Strathalbyn.

In preparation for this year’s Challenge — presented by The Advertiser — the former Olympian and Tour de France rider teamed up with a South Australian fitness enthusiast to road test the route.

The two met at Colley Reserve, in Glenelg, early in the morning and, for the next six hours, they pushed their legs to their limits.

Before setting off, fitness guru Rob Yates — the “average punter” — admitted he was a little nervous going into the ride, particularly because it was over 158km, and generally his body was more used to a far more quick 70km ride.

Here’s how the pair chronicled their training ride:

Glenelg — Old Noarlunga

The two weren’t able to take the exact route because the Southern Expressway was off limits to them (on January 19 it will be closed to cars and overtaken by bikes), so they took the journey along the Southern Veloway, making this trek in good time.

Yates said looking from the Veloway down to the Expressway, the Veloway seemed harder, and it looked like it was a bit tougher.

“When you get up to that first hill, it looks like you’ll want to jump on the back of a pack and fly down to South Rd. That would be beautiful,” he said.

“That’s what I’ll be looking to do on the day.”

Old Noarlunga — Myponga

The stop at Myponga was handy, given they were now 57km into the day (only 100km to go!).

Jonker observed: “For the pros, it’s a sprint. For us, it’s a time to refuel, and get something into us at the bakery.”

Myponga — Yankalilla

Jonker was pleased to arrive in the Inman Valley.

“That’s the last climb of the day,” he said.

“It’s not an official climb, but for 4km at five per cent, it’s quite a climb in our books.

“We’ve had a bit of a headwind, so the secret really is smashing the gels and hydrating really well.”

Yates agreed the route had been tough. “I think at this point, when you’re doing it a little bit tough, it’s about putting it all into perspective, and that’s that we’re doing it for Ride for a Reason, for the Cancer Council,” he said.

Yankalilla — Victor Harbor

When Jonker and Yates rode into Victor Harbor, it was a bit of a celebration: they’d reached the 100km mark of the ride.

They decided that with two legs still ahead of them this was the perfect spot for a stop to refuel and have lunch.

Yates said he was feeling good, and was using the Victor stop as a place not only to do more refuelling, but to give his legs a big stretch and refill his water bottles.

“Now I think we’re right to cruise into Strath and finish it off,” he said.

Jonker also said for those who wanted to participate but were put off by the 158km distance, there was a start line at Victor Harbor.

“Keep in mind that we’re doing the full distance, but there are shorter distances leaving from places like Victor Harbor and Goolwa, you don’t have to do the full 150km,” he said.

Victor Harbor — Goolwa

As the pair rode into Goolwa, they became excited: the finish line was approaching fast.

The pair noted they were pleased to finally be experiencing a tailwind after three hours of a head wind, and were looking forward to be pushed to the finish line in Strathalbyn.

Fingers crossed for that assistance come January 19.

Goolwa — Strathalbyn

When Jonker and Yates arrived in Strathalbyn, they were visibly elated — with Jonker describing the town as one of the most picturesque towns south of Adelaide.

The former professional turned to his electronic device to deliver the ins and outs of the ride.

“We’ve done 156km, we did 1500m of vertical ascension so that’s a bit of climbing,” he said.

“It took us 5:41 at about 27km/h average, and we had quite a bit of tailwind heading in from Goolwa.”

Yates admitted he was tired.

“The last 40km the legs were really hurting,” he said.

“At least we had a tailwind and the majority of it was downhill.”

Jonker described it as a “brilliant” ride.

“The most important thing is to stay hydrated, keep the gels going, have a positive attitude and you’ll get here feeling as good as we are,” he said.

TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONAL

■ Stay hydrated

■ Keep up the gels

■ Remember to take time to refuel

■ Stretch your legs when you stop

■ Stay positive

THE BASICS

■ The Challenge Tour, presented by The Advertiser, is the Santos Tour Down Under’s annual mass-participation ride.

■ On Saturday, January 19, Challenge Tour riders will tackle the same route as the professional riders from Glenelg to Strathalbyn.

■ There are start locations at Glenelg, Myponga, Victor Harbor and Goolwa, meaning there’s a course to cater for every skill level.

■ There will be a cloak room service to transport items from your nominated start location to the finish.

■ There will be feed zones along the route and lunch on arrival at the finish.

■ Medical and mechanical support will be available as well as sweep vehicles to take you to the next refreshment stop (if you are unable to continue or require mechanical support)

■ It is not too late to register to ride the Challenge Tour. Book at www.tourdownunder.com.au, registrations close Wednesday January 9, 2019. Why not gather the family and sign up for the Family Ride or let the kids hit the track at the Mini Tour for Kids on Sunday, January 13 2019.

THE ROUTE