NEWS
Ride to remember homegrown Cycling Hero July 15th, 2015
Hundreds of cyclists are set to converge on this weekend for the annual ‘Ride for Robbie’ to celebrate and honour the life of the South Coast’s own champion rider Robbie Williams.
At just 27 years of age, Williams, a former Shoalhaven Sports Star of the year, multi award winner and champion racer tragically passed away on a ride in Canberra in 2012 after suffering a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.
His greatest victory was in 2007 when he took the crown at one of Australia’s longest running events, the Goulburn to Sydney Cycle Classic where he made a stunning recovery after being dropped on the last climb of the day before catching up with the leading group of three riders and unleashing an answerable attack on the final leg. The victory was made even more heroic with Williams nursing busted ribs throughout the race, an injury which he sustained just days before on a training ride.
It is this determination and pure strength that Williams will be forever remembered for.
Williams, the son of well-known local doctor Bruce Williams and his wife Sue was touted as one of the greatest sportspeople to come from the South Coast.
He won state athletics and cross-country events, national triathlon titles, represented the state in junior cricket teams before emerging into a highly successful professional cycling career with stints in Belgium and Spain before returning to Australia and racing for the Drapac Porsche team.
Despite all his sporting success, it was fiancé Claerewyn Scroote that Williams loved most and was just weeks away from marrying when his life was tragically cut short.
Sunday’s ride will be a chance to remember one of the regions great sportspeople and honour his legacy that shall forever be remembered by the region and Australia’s cycling community.
The ‘Ride for Robbie’ is part of a two day festival that will also include a Cycling NSW Team Time Trials which will take place on Saturday 18 July.
Riders taking part in the Cycling NSW TTT must register for a Cycling Australia day license while riders wishing to take part in ‘Ride for Robbie’ must be registered with Cycling Australia and/or hold an annual Triathlon Australia registration.
For more information or to register as a team (Day 1 time trials) or in the ‘Ride for Robbie’ graded scratch visit: www.eliteenergy.com.au/
The 2015 NSW Team Time Trial Championships is part of Council’s Sports Tourism Program which is supported by Shoalhaven City Council’s Sports Tourism Partners –
Shoalhaven Water, Archer Resort, Holiday Haven Tourist Parks, Bomaderry Bowling Club, South Coast Register, 2ST, Power FM and George Bass Motor Inn.
