Feb 9, 2010
My recent sojourn to the Tour Down Under was always going to be about more than World Champions attacking Willunga Hill or watching Team RadioShack arrive on the scene.
I was on a mission to find some characters in our cycling community who I could pen a few words about and relay their story.
I knew Smudge (Mark Matthew) as a follower of his on Twitter and we didn’t formally meet until the start of stage 5 in the sleepy village of Snapper Point.
I was never going to miss him with those Livestrong Jawbones standing out like a Lance Armstrong poster in an Oakley shop.
For Smudge his Tour Down Under week began on the Sunday while riding the Ride Like Crazy charity event in memory of a South Australian Police Officer named Mick “Crazy” Koerner who lost his life way too early with a brain tumor.
Smudge had entered the 109km event but knocked over 170km on the day including commuting.
Smudge is one of the guys who creeps up on you with a “g’day mate, how’s it going”, “how you handling the hills” and “that headwind is a damn killer”.
Basically he is always being positive and offering support to fellow cyclists.
The day Lance Armstrong & Robbie McEwen called a Twitter ride, Smudge wasn’t going to be one of the mass who just turned up with 8,000 others and rode without catching a glimpse of these champions.
Instead he headed to the TdU Tour Village and navigated Robbie McEwen along with his Katusha team mates down to Wigley Reserve.
Apart from Robbie there was also the 7 x Tour de France winner to see and, well, ride with.
The Tour Down Under is a race for the fans and to not manage a Lance Armstrong autograph is purely because you didn’t try.
Smudge managed to have a jersey signed, the Comeback 2.0 book, an 8×10 photo and the above 7×5 photo.
Personally I think Lance Armstrong was on the verge of requesting a restraining order against Smudge.
On the final morning of the Tour, I read a tweet from Smudge that he was taking his “Chopper” (a bicycle that looks like a Harley Davidson) to the Tour Village.
I headed down to see what all the fuss was about and there was Smudge, taking pictures of Johan Bruyneel, Premier Mike Rann, Oscar Pereiro and many others sitting on the Chopper.
Every time Smudge jumps on his bike he rides with a purpose.
His life is surrounded by depression and Cancer so he is motivated with every turn of the pedal. Smudge is no longer just a follower on Twitter to me, he is a friend.
This article was recently featured on the Off the Back blog by Cycling Central who can also be followed on Twitter.
Off the Back is a space for Cycling Central reader contributions. If you have something interesting to say about your favourite activity contact philip.gomes@sbs.com.au with your submission.
Image Courtesy of @Smudge64
…who’s the poser in the background in the Radioshack kit wearing the same shades?
Check out Smudge’s pictures posted on the 602nds Facebook page.