Stuart O'Grady 'nervous' at first public appearance since his doping confession and retirement

STUART O'Grady has made his first public appearance since his doping confession last year by speaking at a cancer charity dinner in Adelaide.

STUART O'Grady has made his first public appearance since his shock retirement and doping confession last year by speaking at a cancer charity dinner in Adelaide.

Flanked by his family, O'Grady spoke to more than 300 guests at the Ride Like Crazy dinner at the Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

It was the same day he attended the funeral of his aunt, long-time South Australian cycling official and volunteer Helen Baird, who lost her battle with cancer last week.

O'Grady was not paid to speak at the dinner which raises funds to support cancer research through the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation and Neurosurgical Research Foundation.

The 40-year-old returned to live in Adelaide with his family earlier this month after his 19-year professional cycling career came to a sudden end last July when he retired from the sport and confessed to doping before the 1998 Tour de France.

His confession came after he was named as a "suspicious" rider in a French senate report into the infamous 1998 race.

The six-time Olympian and 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner was viewing Friday night's charity dinner as the first step towards giving back to the sport and the South Australian community after his 15-year lie about having never doped during his career was revealed.

He told The Advertiser before the dinner that he was nervous about speaking publicly and how he would be received, but that it was for a good cause.

"Since coming back to Australia we've had a brother-in-law's wedding and now a funeral and that's part of the reason for coming home, to be closer to family for this sort of support," O'Grady said.

"My aunty Helen was hugely respected not just in South Australian cycling but nationally and it was kind of fitting to be doing a talk for this cause.

"Of course I'm a little bit nervous, public speaking is not one of my favourite pastimes but my life and career has had some highs and lows and if people can take anything away from that, and if it can raise money and public awareness to fight cancer then that seems to be a pretty good reason to talk."

He declined to speak to the media last night about his doping confession and organisers of the dinner asked media and guests not to record or film the interview which was done on stage with international cycling commentator Phil Liggett.

O'Grady, who is a two-time Tour Down Under winner, has no official role with this year's race which starts in the city on Sunday.

Friday night's dinner formed part of the 2014 Ride Like Crazy event - a South Australian Police initiative which started in 2010 to support cancer research.

More than 1500 cyclists will take part in the 109km ride which starts and finishes at Unley on Sunday.

SAPOL deputy commissioner and chair of Ride Like Crazy Inc, Grant Stevens, said the event formed after a fellow police officer was diagnosed, and later died, from a brain tumour.

"And we see this as a way we can make a contribution to the community through cancer research, prevention and treatment, and in addition to supporting these worthy charities, our aim is to improve cyclist behaviour and increase road safety awareness," he said.

Since 2010 Ride Like Crazy has raised more than $640,000 for charity and supported community groups such as Scouts, Rotary and the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Registrations for Sunday's ride are still open and available online at ridelikecrazy.com.au.