On the weekend of 26-28 February 2021, 110 riders and support crew overcame COVID-19 restrictions to raise vital money for cancer research as part of the 2021 Tour de Cure Victorian Discovery Tour from Daylesford to Melbourne, via Ballarat and Ocean Grove. They travelled through and supported rural Victorian towns, covering over 400km and 2000m elevation, and visited school children on the ride to present a strong message of ‘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 as researchers or staff from ONJCRI. This tour raised over $480,000 (with a goal to hit
$500k by the end of March!) to support five research projects.
Geoff Coombes, Tour de Cure co-founder, says that they were proud to be partner with ONJCRI.
“Our inaugural Victorian Discovery Tour will bring four world class research projects to life at the ONJCRI, tackling stomach, colorectal, ovarian and rare cancers”, said Geoff.
The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across the entire cancer research community, with a dramatic reduction and slowing of available funds. Thanks to the tireless fundraising efforts of every rider and support crew member, and the generous support of corporate partners, we were able to exceed the original target to fund four projects. The money raised will allow our team to further expand their cancer knowledge and work to find new cancer treatments.
