Hey, it’s Nicholas your midday guy on Sun FM. I’ll be chronicling my journey as a 2024 Tour de Rock rider on our website. Not an objective news story, but a first person encounter of how my journey is progressing.
Starting off with day one, after a busy day on Friday and late night calling the Cowichan Capitals home opener, I made it home at around 11pm to finish packing and get ready for an early start on Saturday.
Up at 5am to shower and put some finishing touches on packing and be ready to roll. I headed over to a Thrifty Foods location in Esquimalt where we as a team were to meet for 6:30 am.
Once I got there, the air was electric with anticipation. I had a fluttering in my chest as we stood around in our iconic red uniforms for the first time as a group. We walked around greeting each other, meeting our support team members who will be making our lives easier over the next two weeks, and chatting about our plans for the day.
The clock struck 7:30 and we were called to stand under the sign of Thrifty Foods for a commencement address. Our leaders for the week spoke about what it was that we were about to undertake with about 50 onlookers in attendance. They shared stories of the impact of Tour and then we were off to our first stop – the View Royal Fire Department.
A moment of inspiration apparent when we were joined on the ride by our injured teammate, Dani Frohloff, who hadn’t been on a bike since a crash in July. She had broken her collarbone, two ribs and her pelvis after touching tires with a teammate and flipping over her handlebars on a training ride. Although her bones are still fusing and so she won’t be riding with us on the entire 1,200 km, Dani hopped on her bike and rode with us in a very emotional moment. She’s still been a huge part of the team, showing up to practices with baking to keep us fuelled, or serving as our team liaison sharing information from Tour organizers. Having her join us on a bike even if just for a couple kilometers was an incredible boost.
Once we arrived at the fire hall, there was a cheque presentation, we were greeted with muffins, coffee, and pleasant conversation before loading up in vans to make the long trip to Port Alice.
It was a super fun ride, filled with laughs, singing, and well, more laughs. The excitement for our journey ahead was ever so present as we thumped along the Trans Canada Highway. A stop for coffee at Drumroasters in Cobble Hill, and another for lunch at Boston Pizza in Campbell River – owned by Tour de Rock rider Chris Seeley – and after a couple more hours we were there.
A highlight of the ride was as we cruised through Duncan we tuned in to Sun FM and we gave a cheer as we heard the J-Bomb talking about the kickoff to Tour.
I also learned that my bike shoes smell like wet dog… So I guess I have to do something about that? As Frank Costanza once said, “I have a foot odour problem.”
The main event for the day was at the Port Alice Legion, it has been a staple event throughout the history of the Tour de Rock, and it’s easy to understand why. As we drove into the town there were people out on the street waving to us. When we rolled into the Legion, it was packed with people. The folks at my table said it was the busiest they had seen the place in a long time.
At the event was an eight year old girl, who had raised over $700 through various fundraising events. She painted rocks to give to each of the riders, mine says, “Best Team Ever.” It was another example of the power of Tour inspiring an incredible kid to go out and make a difference in the world. The people of Port Alice were incredibly welcoming and such a treat to interact with. They made us a buffet, including salmon, which rider Haydn Barrow told me was the best salmon he’s ever had in his life.
Although we had almost 200 days of training in preparation for the day, I’m still not sure I’m ready for what’s to come. Chat tomorrow.
Day 1 kilometers ridden: 2.5
