Photo: © Mikkeli Godfree

Tassie devil: The Sid Taberlay diary 2004

24 year-old Tasmanian Sid Taberlay is a man on a mission. The current Australian and Oceania mountain bike champion, Sid is, like so many athletes this year, striving for a berth at the Athens Olympics Games. But his never-say-die attitude, down-to-earth deameanour and a desert-dry sense of humour - not forgetting a bloody big motor! - puts Sid in the best position possible to realise a life-long dream.

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Italy, Monday, August 2

The Olympic adventure has begun

The Olympic adventure has started: flew out of Hobart at 10am, headed for the Under 23 Australian road team base in Italy. The flight does not seem to get any shorter with experience, only this trip went rather well, even getting half a dozen cat naps. Arriving in Italy, I was suffering from miniature airplane meals and a sudden climate change, to be expected. We have a Swiss Cup on Saturday, which should open the lungs and legs up, from the jet-lag. Going to have a crack in the first half of race, then assess the tiredness; to continue to race or finish at training pace.

Until next week,
Sid