Carl Simmons races along the lakeside path at Benalla, fully geared in his cycling uniform.
Photo by
Sharlene Baldo
Euroa's infamous farmer and former postal worker is gearing up to represent Australia at a national ride and he’s more than ready to tackle the challenge.
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After smashing through the Amy's Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo at Lorne on October, 2024, Carl Simmons is setting his sights on the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, set for October 16 to 19.
Not only has he earned a spot in the championships, he also qualified for the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships that would’ve taken place in Nice, France.
The event will have riders from around the world battling for the rainbow jersey in the 23km time trial and 131km Gran Fondo road race.
Compared to the big leagues he’s competing in now, Simmons recounts how his journey started with humble beginnings, when he was 14 years old and shredding through BMX dirt roads.
But the allure of smoother roads called his name, prompting him to make the transition in 1993.
And, while cycling honed his physique for work on the farm, it wasn’t until he built his much desired farmhouse did he want things to get a little more serious.
“With the cycling, it sort of was a really good avenue to do for my fitness for shearing,” Simmons said.
“I didn’t put a lot of effort into it until I finished building a farmhouse.
“I went and built a property on the farm and then saw a couple of friends and then, in 2002, I decided to take it a little more seriously than what I had previously.’’
Since then Simmons has briefly been the president of Euroa Cycling Club, rode through Europe several times between 2009 and 2019, followed the Tour De France three times and rode through the Alps and countryside.
Carl Simmon’s passion for cycling has taken him all around the world.
Photo by
Sharlene Baldo
Throughout his journey, Simmons reminisced on just how much he’s learnt along the way.
He stressed the crucial role of proper nutrition and maintaining optimal weight for his races, given that the majority of courses rely on endurance and agility.
He cites gruelling 150km climbs and treacherous gravel terrain as his toughest challenges, particularly during his participation in the 2024 Gravelista at Seymour.
He notes his experience in BMX played a significant helping hand.
“I think the transformation on trying to achieve that in gravel was pretty hard,” Simmons said.
“It was pretty full on, because on the road … you can get a lot more delivery from the bike, whereas on the gravel, you’re held back a little bit more and it takes a whole lot more energy.”
For his upcoming race, Simmons is ready to give it his all.
“Look, a nice position would be really good,” he said.
“I’ve got a couple of mates that are really putting in a lot and their coach, they spend a lot of money every year on coaching and they race at a higher level.
“I’ve raced with them for a long time myself, so it just depends for me if I can really put a lot of time and effort in to try and get up to their level.
“So if I can get up to their level and get in that top 20 positions, I’d be pretty happy with that.”
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