By REBECCA BILLS
SELBY local Simon Clarke has been announced as this year’s RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride ambassador.
And, as part of his duties, he will cycle with students during one day of the ride as it journeys from Albury to Lilydale.
Clarke’s riding potential was discovered on the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride in 1998 when he rode with a school group as part of the nine-day riding and camping adventure.
At the time, Clarke was a student at Selby Primary School and had the opportunity to ride with Olympic track racing gold medallist Dean Woods who recognised his talent.
“The group I was riding with consisted of students from high school in Year 9 and 10 – and then there was me who was still in primary school,” he said.
“By the time we were about halfway into the day’s ride the rest of the school students had fallen behind and it was only Dean and I left.
“He noticed that I was going well and that I was a lot younger than the other students so he recommended I join a club and start racing.”
And the rest was history, he said.
Clarke moved to Europe at the age of 16 to pursue his cycling dream and has spent the last 12 years splitting his time between Melbourne and Europe.
“I basically spend February until October there (Europe) every year and come home for the off-season,” he said.
Clarke said he was really excited to be able to ride with students during this year’s ride and described it as being a little bit like going back to the future.
Bicycle Network Chief Executive Officer Craig Richards said he was extremely happy to welcome Clarke back to where it all began for him.
He said the ride was a great opportunity to take time out, get physically active and have a lot of fun.
