Crocodile Trophy
Aussie Battler Gifted Final Stage as Huber and Zeldenrust Win
John Flynn / 30.10.2009
The ultimate battler in the Crocodile Trophy of 2009, Australia's Chris Neal, was awarded the race's final accolade yesterday as he crossed the finish line in first place after leading the peloton home on the final stage from Ayton to Cape Tribulation. According to race tradition, one that began with Belgian ironman Marc Herremans two years ago, the lone crusader in last place on the Crocodile Trophy's general classification was handed the honour by the leaders of the peloton, race winner Urs Huber of Switzerland and the great Dutch-man Bart Brentjens.
For nine days straight Neal had ridden mostly alone, hours behind his fellow protagonists, with the sole goal of completing the Crocodile Trophy. He had looked to the race as a metaphor for something greater, an opportunity to better himself and be an example to his children as they grow and encounter the obstacles of life. "This experience is second only to becoming a father," an emotional Neal said as the race finished on the glorious tropical beach at Cape Tribulation.
"You can just do it, you can do anything in life that you possibly want and the guys letting me come through first is so generous."
Crossing the line in second and third place, Australian doctor Andrew Graham and nurse Sharman Parr were also honoured for their efforts in treating injured rider Willemjan Hopstaken, following his dramatic crash during an unforgettable stage 3. Remarkably, Hopstaken also reached the finish line in Cape Tribulation, recovering from a potentially life threatening episode.
"I made it, and I'm happy about it, the greatest race I ever ride," Hopstaken said. "The people are fantastic, the organisation top, so I'm very happy about it. After day three I never thought I was going to make it, but I made it and I'm proud of it."
Australian-American Aaron Pickett-Heaps, one of the characters of the 2009 Crocodile Trophy, found poignant words to describe the feelings of those who reached the rainforest fringed beach after ten days in the Outback.
"It's been excellent, so many stories and so many different types of people coming together and getting to know each other, it's really forged a lot of great friendships," Pickett-Heaps said. "For me the best experience was riding with the Dutchmen after Willem's crash, he really wanted to finish. Day in, day out, we kept at it. He had nausea a couple of days and we kept riding with him, willing him to finish and in the end he was helping us."
In keeping with race tradition, the riders of the 2009 Crocodile Trophy rolled out together from the village of Ayton and shared their unique experiences on the steep rainforest climbs near Cape Tribulation.
The atmosphere was light-hearted as members of the Tropical Tableland Discovery Team frocked up for the occasion, and the effervescent Doctor Andrew Graham dressed up as comic book jungle hero "The Phantom".
It turned out to be a great journey for the Australians as well as the Europeans. The Tropical Tableland Discovery Team landed two riders inside of the top ten, with the laconic Isaac Tonello also claiming a masters category jersey and a place on the final podium.
"Yeah awesome to stand next to Bart and Urs, two exceptional riders," Tonello said. "Last year the final stage felt like an anticlimax, this year I soaked it in." See All Event Posts
