Cycling trivia fans might be interested to note that James Riley was the great-grandfather of one of Australia’s greatest cyclists, Russell Mockridge. Mockridge won cycling medals around the world, and even beat the pros in Paris in 1952 – a ‘humiliation’ which caused organisers to ban amateurs for years. He competed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, turned pro the following year, and was one of only 60 riders to finish the 1955 Tour de France, out of a starting line of 150.

Shy and bespectacled Russell Mockridge was the black sheep of Australian cycling and also its greatest all-round champion. He dominated both the track and road — at the time of his death he was the reigning national sprint, pursuit, and road race champion. His race record in the legendary Melbourne to Warrnambool stood for nearly twenty-five years.

At the 1952 Olympics he won two gold medals in one afternoon. His first forays into European racing, where he won the Paris Grand Prix and Six-Day event and completed both Paris-Roubaix (finishing behind Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil) and the brutal 1955 Tour de France, hinted at even greater glory.

In May 1958 Russell Mockridge started to write this book, the story of his life as a racing cyclist. On September 13, 1958, while competing in a road race on the outskirts of Melbourne, he was killed. Intelligent, candid, and inspirational, My World On Wheels celebrates the spirit of a unique Australian cycling legend.

www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/My-World-on-Wheels/Russell-Mockridge/9780994352866

Russel Mockridge

Who is Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki

Hands on history. Ben, trip specialist for our new Australian tour spent a couple of days in the national archives in Canberra with Strzelecki’s books, hand-drawn maps, manuscripts and letters he who his friends here in Australia. A captivating dive into a fascinating and intelligent man’s life. It’s clear reading his work why he was awarded a gold medal by the Royal geographical Society and made a fellow of its Society and the prestigious Royal Society #strzeleckicyclingtour #cyclingsydneytohobart #scouting

Crossing the world’s 3rd longest range over the Snowy Mountains over to the river country. We’ll be back to cross this range again in Victoria, over Australia’s highest sealed road #strzeleckicyclingtour #cyclingsydneytohobart #scouting