Sceptics of global warming were not found in the Peloton today!
Murray Bridge to Victor Harbour with two school visits, 20 min Lunch and 38 degrees and windy.days like today, make you appreciate the good days on a bike that much more!
TEMPERATURE ON ALL GARMIN DEVICES 40 c!!!!
Total Time 04:48:16,
Total distance 132.7 kms
Maximum Speed 52.2 kph (only achieved on specialized S-Works for some reason?)
Total Gain 591 metres (sometimes known as mountainous conditions for Mr Lucas, albeit a rather flat stage).
Total calories spent 2590 (not enough to warrant the anticipated McFlurry showdown between a slobbering Giraffe and a Yedi Master!)
Heart rate of the now almost less than 20% body fat Rider a massive output today of 170 max with an average elevated to 144 bpm!
Heart rate of Fabio 'The most beautiful man on a bicycle', as we sat on the front of the Peleton and the smiling Fabio turned and laughed, "Ha, 94 bpm heart rate!Thank you for your words of wisdom Fabio 'You are indeed a most beautiful man!)
Average Speed 27.6 kph (with a few laps of the school yards and a tailwind for 20km's at the start of the day and 10 kms home, the stuff in the middle was just ordinary).
With a late start to the day and a lie in that nobody seemed to be able to partake in, (all but little Simba who was tightly cuddled in his Den, and still needed to be awoken by Mum Linda at 8am.After Linda was relieved to hear that Stifler had indeed received his nickname through his uncanny resemblance to the Stifmeister, and not through a series of misadventures when he was a younger man! One Mother relieved or disappointed I could not tell??? After his performance with the bathing attire probably relieved?
Into the Murray Bridge Motel for a lovely cooked brekky and a briefing at 8.45am, to arrive at our first destination, the Murray Bridge Primary School.
The little puffer smurf had been up to no good, as the Man Child Doggie Coldbeck has been implicated in a violation subject to referring to the Rules (Velominati, Keeper of the cog) and the Jedi Master, Yoda. www.velominati.com/the-rules/ Violating the Cav Venge, by placing a little princess sticker on the seat stem, did not add to the aesthetic beauty of the S-Works Venge and was quickly removed by Mr Lucas!! Man child, Doogie, Puffer Smurf, and now Dave Warner (Named by Ronald McDonald House Chairman Dave Simmons. With absolutely no persuasion from any member of the team, he teed off on the little man during his speech, to rapturous applause) will now have to be very mindful of his toy bike to ensure no harm comes to it!
Many of us were looking to the trees above the Murray Bridge Motel to determine what the days riding would be like, and trying to gauge if the wind would be kind or not as we made our way down to the Murray Bridge Primary school to a cacophony of sound as we entered their gym, with over 500 kids! The Giraffe found a new mate painted on the side of parked caravan, being Bobo the Giraffe, and was quite content to spend the rest of the afternoon in quiet contemplation with his new found interest.
It always amazes me how the kids react to the team arriving into their school and to see the faces of the riders and support team as they are cheered on like heroes. One in particular stands out with the biggest grin on these occasions.........no it is not Fabio 'the most beautiful man on a bicycle', but the gleeful look on the face of Doogie, as he enters a room with 500 peoplein it that are amzingly slightly shorter than he is!
Big thanks to the Murray Bridge Primary school as they had raised an amazing $500 for the ride and presented us a cheque. Thank Boys & Girls.
After much discussion was had once again with the school, it was decided that man child was infact a member of the Peleton and allowed to leave with us and not go back to class, we then made our way down the longest guard of honor as a gentle kiss was blown from the Big Afrikaaaan to his new giraffe friend, and again we headed off for what was to be not so pleasant a ride as the first 20 kms had led us to believe.
If you have never ridden a road bike in a large group before, then it is difficult to explain the euphoric feeling of freewheeling along a road uphill at 48kmh with a tail wind directly on your back, but this is exactly what many of us were experiencing as we literally blew out Murray Bridge. I only say many, as those in the peloton that were not mounted on a specialized, were seen to be pedalling!
It could not have been an easier start to the day, that did not prepare us well for what we would endure for the next 100kms.
With the morning school visit completed at nearly 10am, and a second school visit to be reached by 2.30pm at Port Elliot, we did not too much time for luxuries and Lunch had been scaled back to only 20 minutes at the picturesque stop on Lake Alexandria at Milang.
A nature break at the end of the tailwind section, and the Jedi master began marshalling his x-wing pilots to accommodate their wingmen and women on the inside.
With Maverick and Blads now having an educational lesson on the cloud formation and weather patterns of the learned Pilot, and the temperature steadily rising on each riders Garmin (mine averaged at 38 c for the day! hot in anyone's language, even the fight hardened Stifler) the pace was kept constant by the 6 at the front and we rolled on to Milang with little incident, excepting the fact that whilst riding his bike in the peloton, Mick Dundee, must have caught a glimpse of the vanishing tail of his next wallet and shoes, as he decided to wander off into the bush to collect his next catch. After a brief time in the jungle, Mick, still on his bike, re joined the peloton on the bitumen with nothing to show for his little escapade. No harm came to any animals or riders during this slight mental fade from Mick. Honourable mention for a muppet though, duly acknowledge at dinner.
Milang to Port Elliot heading back around the Lake and now into a cross headwind and some time on the front six was called up. (note: just momentarily the blogger was interrupted by a knock at the door of Diesel, Mick, Baby face Tony and Mr Lucas, only to answer the door to a now more than confused fastidious driver Glenn/Grant, as this apartment was clearly full, I sent him on his way to find his actual room. The look of perplexity on his face as he too could not make his key work in our door!!)
Initially a role on the front with the grill like face of a an old T-bird, Fabio, was quite entertaining as he sang and whistled protecting me slightly from the wind coming over his shoulder.
We rolled after around 12.63 km and Doogie CB and Sturmy basically headed straight into the wind, and so it would go for the next 15km until Doogie and Tex rolled through and continued to turn into the wind at every opportunity. Thanks Ultimate wing man Tex for sharing your snakes with me, regardless of where they had been kept. Its gesture like this from the team throughout the tour that makes the unbearable sometimes a little more bearable. Along with the support crew and Blads that had been filling bottles of water in the cars and Blads had been ferrying these up and down the line for those of us that were consuming copious amounts of fluid with no need for a nature break as the temperature soared. Top effort not so old Blads!!
Tex and Doogie continued to push on, although Doogie offered little protection for Sturmy behind him and Tex livid with the fact that the electronic gearing on his bike would not allow him in the large chainring...........why he was actually in the small chainring in the first place is still under some investigation from the keeper of the rules Blads!
As we approached the turn off to more favourable conditions with Doogie and Tex still on the front, a mechanical, or so we thought was called. Rolling now at 20 kmh so that Big Jiz can make the necessary fix and Stifler can time trial the rider back to the peloton. It now appears that the yellow jersey holder Snorty Merro, had somehow dropped her $3 non garmin cycle computer only to demand that the Stifler retrieve this most valuable possession. Back on the pack and expensive equipment returned, and we soon rolled with the little Doogie and Tex having done an excellent job on the front.
Fabio, still looking beautiful, was now less than chirpy on the bike, and having spent most of the 5 days of riding in the rolling six, was not so bubbly as before. I asked if the infallible character of Fabio was feeling alright? The answer was less than affirmative, and the front six agreed accordingly that the days heat and wind had all their feet aching to get out of their shoes.
We had some nice little rolling hills as we approached Goolwa and passed Currency Creek and the end was in sight. Only that we then headed straight back along the coastline to Port Elliot and in single file as attempted to not make a nuisance of ourselves on the highway.
I counted down the k's and watched the clock as 2.30pm and our appointment with the school was closing. Finally the Port Elliot Primary school and the most magnificent welcoming from our support crew, who had gone on to our accommodation in Victor Harbour at the McCracken Country club and raided all the rooms for their flannels and had set them in ice water for our arrival at the school. Dead set legends! and the Riders quickly refreshed themselves from what was probably as hard a ride as the second stage this tour. Thanks support crew, acting outside of the policy manual and just thinking for the riders. :-) :-)
Gavin and Nat Daniells, the local McDonald's Licensee from Victor Harbour had organised the school with the help of the Principal and teachers, with a fundraising ride to bike day and design a bike competition. Another bike won from our friends at Bike Society (slightly reluctantly however, as the pink bike was not the colour of choice for the young man that had won!)
Ronald McDonald made an appearance at the Port Elliot Primary School also, and the kids enjoyed seeing a banana pulled from Mr Safety's ears and ensured that Ronald would not ride without his helmet in place and strapped on. They are listening Mr Safety!
We lapped the Basketball courts and headed onto our destination at the Luxurious McCracken Country Club with a quick stop at Gavin and Nat's Maccas for some more Maccas goodies.
Thanks to Gav and Nat for organising everything and not least of all the Police escort from Port Elliot to Victor Maccas with Fire Engine protecting us from behind! After a hard day in the saddle, this made the last few K's that much easier.
Only a bit of time, to do the essential washing and drying of kit and small mechanical changes before another community event at the McCracken club.
There was some feverish bidding on items for the charity amongst the Peloton, with Geoff narrowly picking up the Anna Meares signed jersey. He did however get pipped at the post by Doctor Jules for the coffee machine..........with only moments to go on the silent auction and Geoff poised to win the espresso machine, Stifler reminded Mick (Geoff), that he was indeed in a round, and Stiflers red wine glass appeared empty. Not wanting to offend or disappoint Stifler, Mick diligently made his way to the bar. It was then that Doctor Jules swung into action and place her name on coffee machine as the silent auction closed before Mick had returned!! Well played Stifler and Doc.
Tomorrow sees a long and hard day in the saddle, so I will finish up with a thankyou to Gavin & Nat and the Victor Harbour community for their support on this ride and the money raised this evening.
Maillot Jaune - To the baby face Tony with a degree, who has manged in a very short period to not only go from paramedic to cyclist but also continue smile all along the way. Great job Tony Mason.
Muppet - Anna fear disappear, (ATMgate?) as she managed to complain about the remote on Stacey's car not working, only to discover that the remote entry on works on the car that Stacey was actually driving!!!!
Victor Harbour to McClaren Vale tomorrow 175km's via some hills!! Yippeeeee
Good night all.
No comments:
Post a Comment