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(Unofficial) Indian Pacific Wheel Race heads towards its climax

It looks as though first riders will arrive in Sydney on anniversary of Mike Hall's death...

The unofficial version of the Indian Pacific Wheel Race is currently taking place in Australia – and it looks as though the first riders will reach the finish at Sydney Opera House on Saturday 31 March, the anniversary of the death of British ultra-cyclist MIke Hall during last year’s event.

Organisers Dragon Face Pty Ltd had planned to hold a second edition of the race from Fremantle to Sydney, but with the inquest into Hall’s death looming, said last month that they would not be holding it.

> Indian Pacific Wheel Race 2018 cancelled by organisers

However, around 40 cyclists who had signed up to take part – a number of whom, including cycling journalist Rupert Guinness, rode in last year’s race, which was cancelled in the wake of Hall’s death – decided to participate on an unofficial basis.

Currently at the head of the race, according to live tracking on MAProgress, is Australian cyclist Heath Ryan – aka The Dark Knight – who is taking a slightly different route at times to other riders in tribute to one of the country’s greatest ever cyclists, Sir Hubert Opperman, who turned to politics after his cycling career.

Ryan, aged 53 is following the route that Opperman – in 1928 a member of the first English-speaking team to take part in the Tour de France, with that year’s edition said to be the toughest ever – took when he set a record for riding from Perth to Sydney.

> Video trailer: Film following riders as they try and recreate toughest Tour de France

In his biography on MAProgress, Ryan says that his taking part in the race is “more than just unfinished business,” and that he “is riding Hubert Opperman's 1937 record-setting route from Perth2Sydney via Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra en route to Sydney Town Hall and Bondi.

“The transcontinental record on this original 'Overlander' course stood unbettered for 32 years.

“I will ride with my 'Oppy' beret, and just hope to finish the distance safely,” he adds.

His closest rival – and a long-time leader of the race since it left Perth on 17 March – is Adelaide-based Abdullah Zeinab.

Both men are heading to Sydney after passing through Canberra – and it was shortly after riding through Australia’s capital city that Hall was killed when he was struck by a driver in the early hours of 31 March last year.

The riders currently undertaking the 5,500-kilometre trip across the continent set off from Fremantle in Western Australia on 17 March at 6.22am – the time Hall’s tracker stopped moving.

> Cyclists to ride across Australia in memory of Mike Hall despite cancellation of Indian Pacific Wheel Race

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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Author, some hopefully constructive criticism.

You said the organisers were not holding the race then in the very next paragraph you add in that the race was cancelled. The whole structure/order of it is ugly to read.
You then repeat Ryan twice and make the following paragraph repetitive and unduly messy.
'Head of the race is 53 year old Australian Heath Ryan' works far better as this then negates you having to bodge the next bit which again extends the paragraph needlessly.
Using 'slight' for a 500 mile detour doesn't seem accurate, significant would describe how Ryan's route differs to others.
Amending the piece to reflect that he is in fact not in the lead of anything (it's not a race either as pointed out above) as he simply isn't doing the same route/distance.

Sorry if that's critical but it switched me off reading the rest.

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KINGHORN replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Author, some hopefully constructive criticism.

You said the organisers were not holding the race then in the very next paragraph you add in that the race was cancelled. The whole structure/order of it is ugly to read.
You then repeat Ryan twice and make the following paragraph repetitive and unduly messy.
'Head of the race is 53 year old Australian Heath Ryan' works far better as this then negates you having to bodge the next bit which again extends the paragraph needlessly.
Using 'slight' for a 500 mile detour doesn't seem accurate, significant would describe how Ryan's route differs to others.
Amending the piece to reflect that he is in fact not in the lead of anything (it's not a race either as pointed out above) as he simply isn't doing the same route/distance.

Sorry if that's critical but it switched me off reading the rest.

You switched off, didn't notice the dates then!

Avatar
brooksby replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

 Using 'slight' for a 500 mile detour doesn't seem accurate, significant would describe how Ryan's route differs to others..

OTOH, a 500 mile detour is pretty slight in the Outback...yes

Avatar
Kadinkski | 6 years ago
1 like

You can't call it a race - it's just stupid, people aren't following the IP rules - they're just doing their own thing, some even have full support.

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kamoshika | 6 years ago
2 likes

CJ beat me to it. Massive respect to him because it's a hell of a ride he's doing, but to me Dark Knight is doing a ride across Australia that happens to be at the same time as the IPWR. He appears to be ahead on the tracker, but in reality he's done about 800km less than the true leader (if an unofficial ride that was a race can have a leader) - Abdullah Zeinab, who is absolutely smashing it. Big respect to all the riders, especially the two nutters who are riding fixed.

Avatar
cjwebb | 6 years ago
5 likes

It's a bit off suggesting TheDarkKnight is leading, seeing as how his "alternative" route is also hundreds of miles shorter!
Chapeau to all those taking part, whether up the front or back - they are all amazing #bemoremike

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