Announcing the 2008 Date and Venue

We are pleased to announce that the 2008 Around the Bay in a Day will be held on Sunday 19 October 2008.The start/finish area will return to Alexandra Gardens, our most popular and successful location to date.

You can also look forward to another bumper weekend of cycling activities with the Melbourne Cycling Festival to be held over the weekend of the 17 - 19 October 2008.

Don't forget to make a note in your diaries, spread the word and get set for an even bigger and better event next year.

Help The Smith Family Reach Their Target

A huge thank you again to all those 2007 riders who have already sought sponsorship for The Smith Family.  An incredible $370,000 has now been raised! 

We encourage those of you who have now crossed the finish line to seek donations or make a pledge yourself- it’s not too late!  With your help we can reach our 2007 target of surpassing the $500k mark for the first time ever in ATB history!

Not sure where to send donations? Please send fundraising forms along with donations to The Smith Family, Reply Paid 10300, GPO Box 10300, SYDNEY NSW 2001 or sponsor online

Don't forget, all riders who raise $210 or more and send in their donations by Friday 28 December 2007 will go into the draw to win two return economy air tickets to Paris for the chance to watch roadside the 2008 Tour de France!

Rider Survey Results

Thank you to the riders who completed the rider survey. The survey revealed that:

• The most popular age group participating was the 31 - 40 age group
• 85% achieved a sense of satisfaction having completed the ride – despite the hot conditions!
• 411 riders were 61+ years of age
• 43% trained more than 20 times in preparation for the event.
• The most popular event option was 210km via Queenscliff
• The oldest participant was 80 year old Joan Doig of Bonbeach Victoria, who completed the 50km ride.
• Dorothy Quinlivan of Pearcedale Victoria, aged 75 was the oldest rider to complete the 210km distance.

Congratulations

to Shannon Hill, from the Uecomm riders team for winning the Mondiale road bike generously supplied by Apollo Bikes. She will be able to enjoy training more often on her new road bike as a result of completing the rider survey.

ATB Team News

We are very sad to report that our Ride Coordinator, Belinda Rusbatch, has decided to return to her homeland of New Zealand. We thank Belinda for all her hard work and wish her all the best in her future of event management.

We now welcome Jenny Macpherson to the team, as the new Ride Coordinator. Having spent three years racing in Europe with the Australian Institute of Sport, her insight into professional road cycling will be a great bonus to the team and the event.

Jenny will also be competing at the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic from 2 - 7 January 2008. Come down and watch the action on the first day in Williamstown from 12.30pm and see Australia's best cyclist's including World, Olympic and National champion’s battle it out over the 5 day criterium series.

Keep Active Over Summer

There are lots of choices this summer to keep you occupied outside of the home.

   Make a splash with in an Open Water Swimming event: Fitness2live have created a training program (similar to the Portfolio Partners Around the Bay in a Day 2007 program available) for all who are interested.

  Participate in other big rides : you can use the ride training programs to prepare for the Alpine Classic and other upcoming events.

   Or maybe consider completing a triathlon: Sprint distance triathlons are a good option for those wanting an introduction to the sport.

Only Bicycle Victoria Members are able to view training programs in full. So why not Become a member today!

Keep an eye on the Find a bicycle event on the website to see what Bicycle Events are approaching.

 

Ciao from all the ATB Team and we will look forward to bringing you more news on next year's ride!