2010 Chain Reaction Challenge - a record amount raised!

The 4th Chain Reaction Challenge was tough, hot, challenging - AND the most successful - with regard to money raised so far.  
All the riders took on the heat and humidity thrown at them each day, and conqurered what was described as some of the most picturesque riding they had encountered.
Each day was not without its challenges though.....below is a brief insight into each day.

Day 1: Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour
Much to the delight of the riders, the coach was held up in Melbourne due to bad weather and the subsequent closing of Melbourne Airport.  They managed to get away with a departure 12mins late!!
There was a light sprinkling of rain early in the morning, but it was more of a cooling shower than a hinderance. 
The group rode as a complete bunch all day, with everyone managing the 170k by 2pm in the afternoon.

Day 2: Coffs Harbour to Yamba
Day 2 was always going to be a little tough.  The riders had 170k in their legs, and the route out of Coffs Harbour was straight up into the hinterland towards Grafton.
On all accounts today - the weather was hot, humid and hotter before it became more humid.  The Chain Reaction peloton meandered towards Grafton for the days lunch stop. 
Fluid became a priority are the riders refuelled in the shade over lunch.
Out of Grafton the roads flattened out, and became quiet lanes through the canefields.
With a quick inter team time trial challenge thrown in, everyone was sufficiently exhausted for the short ferry trip across the Maclean river towards Yamba.
All would have been text book perfect it the rain had stayed away as the riders approached Yamba....but, nothing could dampen the riders excitement of finally arriving in Yamba and getting the 150k done for the day!

Day 3 Yamba to Byron Bay
Today was approached with mixed feelings - the destination was Byron Bay, but there was a 190k ride to get there...
It was a slightly earlier start, and also a realisation, that perhaps - with hindsight -  the legs yesterday morning felt pretty good!
With a flat start to the day, the riders were able to deal with only body weariness before the hills kicked in for the afternoon.
The road to Casino was a long open slog, with headwinds, and more humidity battering the peloton.
Lunch in Casino was again a rehydrating challenge, as all the riders were beginning to prepare for the afternoons approach into Byron Bay.
It was decided to have another challenge - the ride from Lismore to Bangalow was going to be a free for all - and the riders were able to ride as they felt into Bangalow.
Most opted for the slow approach, but there were a few riders who decided fast and furious was the order of the day (much to the coaches delight!!).
The last 10k into Byron Bay was a cruisy 10k.....and everyone was very pleased to see the end to their bike seat for another day.

Day 4: Byron Bay to Broadbeach
Byron Bay to Broadbeach was the shortest day of Chain Reaction 2010 at just 105 k's, so the start time was slackened to a reasonable 9am.  The riders made the most of the setting, and enjoyed time to sleep in and have breakfast in Byron.
The relaxing morning had its drawbacks though - a hotter ride...
After a short stop for an early lunch at Murwillumbah, the day got a whole lot tougher as we road through Dungay then started the steep climb to the Queensland boarder at Tomewin in sweltering heat.
Once on the other side of the ridge the ride down into the Gold Coast was enjoyed by all.

Once at the Gold Coast the riders visited the Gold Coast Primary School, one of the schools on route that has adopted the Better Buddies Program run by the Allanah & Madeline Foundation.

It was really inspiring for the riders to see first hand what they were riding for and great to see the excitement on the faces of the Preps when a very colourful and tired bunch or riders rode up to the school.
The kids had prepared personal postcards to each of the riders the day before and had been following the progress of the ride all week. 

The riders were taken into the prep classes to see the better buddies program in full swing. The children had a range of questions for the riders like "do you sleep on the bike?"....

Day 5: Broadbeach to Brisbane...incorporating the Mt Tamborine 1 Day ride
Day 5 was the day a large majority of the riders were dreading.....
It wasn't the longest day at just 150 k but the day the riders would be joined by 45 day riders at Oxenford for the climb up the might Mt Tambourine before riding in to Brisbane.

After meeting the day riders 30 kms into the ride at Oxenford Park, the much larger peloton headed off to tackle Mt Tambourine. 
The support crew did it just as tough as the riders, as they now had their jobs doubled handling a pack of around 90 riders of mixed ability. 
The group had ridden no more than 1km and yet to start climbing before there were calls of 'sag wagon required'...and the day riders decided the pace was too hot or the hill too steep and calld on the the sag wagon to get them to the top.

The next hour was hectic as all the riders on the road grappled with their own inner voices telling them it was too tough, too steep and to stop this craziness. But despite having already ridden some 750 kms all the Chain Reaction riders made it up the relentlance 15% plus 13km climb to the top.

At the top everyone had a good break to enjoy the achievement with teammates and 1 day riders before splitting into 3 ability groups to tackle the dangerous decent.

Everyone made it down safely and our on-ride event manager Tim Chadd breathed a sigh of relief as the Queensland Police joined the peleton with three police vehicles to escort everyone through the Brisbane traffic to the day's finish at the Brisbane Hilton.

Once off the bike, a group of Chain Reaction riders visited the Starlight Express Room at the Mater Hospital to see first hand the great work done by the Starlight Children's Foundation and distrubute some show bags provided by Disney. 
 
At 6pm  270 of Brisbane's business community arrived at the Brisbane Hilton for the Chain Reaction Gala Dinner. 
Duncan Armstrong was the MC for the night, and other sporting celebrities were also present to hear guest speaker Kieran Perkins discuss his involvement with Starlight.

At the dinner Berrick Wilson asked for volunteers to help create Chain Reaction Queensland and there was a strong response of interested riders and sponsor. At this stage there will be a  Chain Reaction Queensland up and running in October 2010.

While most of the guests kicked on to enjoy the night, the Chain Reaction riders headed to bed as there was a 5am start scheduled the next morning to ensure we could get out of Brisbane before the peak our traffic started.

Day 6: Brisbane to Noosa
After a big night at the Gala Dinner all riders were a little slower than normal on what was to be the last morning of Chain Reaction 2010.

Thanks to Tim Chadd and our on-ride support crew the peloton successfully negotiated their way through the Brisbane traffic and out towards the Glasshouse Mountains.
With the help of a tailwind everyone enjoyed the ride between Glasshouse Mountains, before hitting a few lumpy spots between Mooloolha and Eudlo where the group stopped for our last on-route food stop.

After a few more hills the route hit the flat roads of David Low Way and with the help of a strong tailwind cruised home to Noosa at an average speed of around 40k/h lead by our Wintergarden Shopping Centre Ambassadors who did a terrific job supporting our riders all week.

After a quick stop to regroup into teams, the group all enjoyed the cruise down the Noosa Hill and into Hastings Street to be met by the excited cheers and squeals of children holding homemade welcome home signs.
After a few photos the kids took off to get their faces painted by the local face painting fairy and make new friends with all the other kids who had flown up from Melbourne, Sydney and even Penola to see welcome their Dads home and enjoy some much needed family time in Noosa.

Cycling executives to brighten the lives of critically ill kids

Chain Reaction is a physically challenging, seven-day cycling event for senior executives with a passion for cycling and an awareness of their corporate social responsibilities.

The third annual Chain Reaction Challenge was a seven day, 1,000km ride from Tasmania to Melbourne held between 7 and 13 March, 2009.

Chain Reaction 2010 will take the riders on a different type of adventure, from Port Macquaire in NSW, through the hinterland of Byron Bay, and the Gold Coast before arriving in Noosa 6 days later.

Chain Reaction Videos

Channel 9 News Story view video

Check out the Chain Reaction Blog, and view the previous Chain Reaction challenges!