On the Grapevine

John and Martin West booked a 14-day cycling tour, ‘Pyrenees, Provence and Alps’, with ‘Ride Holidays’ who organise the entire trip, including escort riders to ensure the wellbeing of riders.

They organise activities for partners and non-riders, four-star accommodation in villages and regional towns, daily meals, sightseeing, and entertainment.

This is John’s fourth cycling tour with the company, which provides participants with eye-catching cycling gear in its corporate colours of navy and pink, enabling them to be easily distinguished from other tour groups.

John’s first ride was in 2017 in France, followed by Canada in 2018 and in 2019 in New Zealand. The 2023 trip is the first to be organised since Covid hit worldwide.

The 14-day ride, which began on July 12 in Toulouse and ended in Lyon, was a test indeed for father and son over a distance of about 700 km, much of it over mountainous ranges in the French Alps.

John and Martin, aged 54, showed rare determination and endurance over difficult terrain, commencing a hard ride in 35-degree heat on day one.

Coming from Australia’s winter, it proved to be something of a shock.

However, perhaps we should go back before the trip and look at the required training before attempting such a ‘holiday.’

If we look at the legend, John began cycling seriously 15 years ago when he joined the Cobram Barooga Cycling Club, which today has 30-40 members.

John is the most senior rider of the club and mentally and physically fit, despite his age, and undeniably an inspiration to his fellow cyclists.

Riding each day, John heads off at 6.30 am and is back in time to go to the office, while on Wednesday afternoon, he joins some of the group for a 60kms ride, and on Saturday, it is often 100kms and Sunday, 40-60kms.

Club members are committed to ensuring they maintain their fitness levels and enjoy a fantastic camaraderie with each other.

John generally clocks up about 150-250 kms per week and 10,000 kms yearly.

His heart and legs are strong, and he is keen to participate again next year in a ride in Norway.

‘Ride Holidays’ organises tours in countries worldwide; however, their main focus and most popular is to follow the Tour De France.

Martin began riding fairly recently as he could see how much his dad loved the sport and how amazingly fit he was, so after some discussion, the pair decided to do an overseas ride together.

Before the tour, John and Martin took advantage of a smart trainer with a screen showcasing the elevation of the hills they would have to climb.

This is particularly useful for riders such as John, who is at a disadvantage living in an area with predominantly flat terrain.

At the same time, Martin lives in Sydney, which boasts many hilly areas.

With full technical assistance and knowledge offered, training became more severe over the final 2-3 months, with a training schedule prepared for them by a cycling coach.

If you needed a bit of help ex, New Zealand champion Silas Cullen, who now lives in France, was available for private coaching at a reasonable fee.

It must be mentioned that it is a ride, not a race; participants can go at their own pace, and if they wish to stop for a break, they can.

“The scenery is just striking, and if you wish to stop and take a break or some photos, you can,” John said.

When asked what he liked about the rides and cycling, John responded, “It’s the camaraderie and feeling good about yourself and having an overall sense of wellbeing.”

Partners or non-riders, under the banner of Team Macchiato, were provided with tour guides and their needs were catered to in each town and village.

Sightseeing included markets, cathedrals, music events, galleries, cafés, restaurants and a special day at Lourdes where more than 150 years ago, it is believed the Virgin Mary appeared.

Since then, Lourdes has become one of the world’s leading Catholic Marian shrines, attracting attention from believers around the globe.

Retail therapy, thermal spas, cable cars and dining at Au Plaisir Ambre in Brianco under master chef Michael Chassigneux and highly rated by Michelin all contributed to a beautiful two weeks for Team Macchiato.

Organisers are considering changing the group’s name to Team Pinot.

John’s wife Pat and daughter-in-law Jocelyn thoroughly enjoyed their experience, which didn’t require quite the same amount of physical effort as the boys but was quite possibly a little more fun.

One wonders if they will all do it again next year.

A wedding is a time to party

Well-recognised Cobram couple Michael and Sue Hoban celebrated the marriage of their twin daughter Bethany to Simon Collis in Noosa Heads last Friday.

They were surrounded by 100 delighted family members and guests at Hidden Grove, an intimate beachfront location with a stunning ocean backdrop, perfect for a romantic wedding.

With the official part of the ceremony over, guests were then treated to drinks and canapes on a sunset cruise to the lavish reception held at the Noosa Boathouse.

From all reports, the party began on Thursday. It continued over the weekend, with many guests from Cobram, Melbourne and Canberra relishing the sunshine and warmer temperatures of the tropics before heading back south.

Congratulations to you both, Bethany and Simon.

Well-recognised Cobram couple Michael and Sue Hoban celebrated the marriage of their twin daughter Bethany to Simon Collis in Noosa Heads last Friday.

They were surrounded by 100 delighted family members and guests at Hidden Grove, an intimate beachfront location with a stunning ocean backdrop, perfect for a romantic wedding.

With the official part of the ceremony over, guests were then treated to drinks and canapes on a sunset cruise to the lavish reception held at the Noosa Boathouse.

From all reports, the party began on Thursday. It continued over the weekend, with many guests from Cobram, Melbourne and Canberra relishing the sunshine and warmer temperatures of the tropics before heading back south.

Congratulations to you both, Bethany and Simon.