08 April 2021
One hundred and forty riders and support crew from Tour de Cure have raised $435,000 through fundraising efforts over the last 12 months. This money will go directly to cancer research projects in South Australia.
The 2021 Tour de Cure (TdC) SA Discovery Tour kicks off from Clare on Friday 9 April. The riders will cycle more than 400 kilometres through South Australia’s Clare and Barossa Valleys over three days.
During the tour, riders will stop at Clare Primary School, Vineyard Lutheran School and Manoora Primary School, to spread the TdC philosophy: “Be Fit, Be Healthy, Be Happy.”
Each cyclist has a personal connection to cancer, whether they be survivors, supporting loved ones with cancer or paying tribute to loved ones that have succumbed to it, or are researchers or staff from the Flinders Foundation and University of South Australia (UniSA).
Among the cyclists will be UniSA Professor Clive Prestidge, an internationally renowned biopharmaceutical researcher. Prof Prestidge heads up the UniSA Clinical and Health Science Nanostructure and Drug Delivery Group (NADD) and, recently, his research took on personal significance.
Prof Prestidge completed a national bowel screening test and after a colonoscopy he received the bad news that he had bowel cancer, which came as a shock to the dedicated cyclist.
“I didn’t expect it. The previous weekend I’d ridden 200 kilometres in the charity ride for the Tour Down Under. I felt fighting fit,” Prof Prestidge says.
“They showed me the pictures they’d taken during the procedure and a few expletives came out. Of course, once I got the news, I didn’t sleep for the next few days.”
“They told me half my colon would need to be removed. Of course, you start imagining the worst scenario – I’m not going to make it. Thinking of my family and young daughter, I started to tear up… My thoughts were all over the place.”
Prof Prestidge started to question the young colorectal specialist on his experience, asking, ‘How long have you been doing this and how many of these surgeries have you performed?’ He was stunned to hear the surgeon had performed more than 500 bowel cancer surgeries in the past two years.
Tour de Cure co-founder Geoff Coombes, who helped launch the event in 2007, says funds will help critical work.
“Over $400,000 will fund two projects in South Australia. Those projects include brain and colorectal cancer,” Coombes says.
Since 2007, Tour de Cure has raised $66 million, funded 554 projects with 45 scientific breakthroughs.
The following people are available to be interviewed:
- Geoff Coombes, TdC founder
- Professor Clive Prestidge – funded cancer researcher, TdC rider and cancer survivor
Footage and photographs of previous tours in South Australia or during the upcoming 2021 Tour are available.
For more information contact:
Sally Heginbotham, Digital Marketing Manager, Tour de Cure
E: sally@tourdecure.com.au M: 0410 634 462
Donations to Tour de Cure can be made at donate.tourdecure.com.au
Follow the SA Discovery Tour on social media
Twitter @tourdecure_aus
Facebook @TourdeCureAustralia
Instagram @tourdecureaus
LinkedIn @tourdecureaustralia
Tour de Cure thanks sponsors
Collins Adelaide
CMV Group
Lexus Adelaide
Southern Cross Protection
