Q&A with a Tour de Cure rider

Tony Dillon has been training with the Tour de Cure NSW Team. His goal is to raise funds for cancer research type of awareness and I instantly wanted to be involved. After some research, I found the NSW TDC website and was swept up with it. The TDC NSW team has always made me welcome in the training group and now I’m part of the Tour de Cure family.

What does your training involve?

I like to average 200km per week in training: Monday – rest day or 24km cycle commute to work; Tuesday 5.45am – 30km team skills training ride; Wednesday – 24km cycle commute; Thursday – rest day cycling, evening yoga class; Friday –24km cycle commute; Saturday – 50-60km morning road ride, usually around Royal National Park, or along the coast road to Wollongong; and Sunday – 6am roll-out with full 90-120km TDC team ride on the Northern Beaches, hills of Akuna Bay, to Brooklyn and return.

What’s your goal, and how can readers help? Honestly, to help those that are unable to. Nobody deserves to get cancer, if they do, their will and courage to beat this is greater than you can imagine.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m 58 years young, I reside in Helensburgh and I’m a Work Health & Safety manager for a shipyard at Milsons Point.

I’ve only been cycling since Covid became a thing, so I could commute 50% of my way to work.

When and where will you be riding in the Tour de Cure?

The ride starts in Coffs Harbour on 16th March and finishes in Noosa, Queensland on 24th March. The route is via Yamba, Ballina, Kingscliff, Broadbeach, Ipswich, Brisbane, Sandstone Point then to Noosa.

Why are you taking on this challenge?

Five years ago I lost my Aunty to stage 4 bone cancer with only six weeks notice.

These days, work colleagues are informing me of either prostate, bowel, breast cancer.

Last year I watched a clip on TV of a group of cyclists riding to raise funds for cancer research in the Tour de Cure.

It was a very raw feeling knowing there was this

If I can assist fund-raising by cycling 1000km with the Tour de Cure (which I love to do, even getting saddle sores, tired muscles, fatigue for eight days is nothing compared to some with cancer) that means that in the future we could find cures to cancer, and less people will suffer.

Readers can help by donating. My target is $12,000. People can follow us on Live tracker – the link will be supplied to those who donate.

To donate, scan the QR code or go to tourdecure.grassrootz.com/signaturetour-2023/tony-dillon