RMHC SA Ride for Sick kids 2015 Day 2 (Hump day for some)

Monday 16th November 2015 

And the tour continues............................

Distance - 145.9 kms

Time in saddle - 5hrs 22 minutes 07 seconds approx 

Average Speed - 27.2.2 kmh (After a slow start to the day, Diesel smashed it out into a headwind, for the last 40k's to ensure we had an extra 9 minutes for lunch! Really appreciated that Diesel!) Fastest speed recorded from one of S-Works venges as they flew through the finish line in the Individual TT 49kms under brakes)

Lumpy stage with 580 metres gained 

Average Temp 32.7 degrees (Enough to hurt the fatman at the back of the pack!)

Calories used by very average rider 2,570 (Mr Lucas is still the very average rider!)

Day 2 began innocuously enough with an early breakfast at 6.30am at the commercial in Cowell, as the emotional social media content was discussed with past riders D1 & D2, Mav and Manchild Coldbeck!

We rolled out early only to return to Cowell after a quick morning round trip ride of 30 k's before entertaining the kids at he Cowell primary school.

The reason for rolling out early was to blow some of the testosterone out of the legs of some riders in an individual TT.  It would appear that after much cheating & inconclusive doping tests, that the testosterone levels in the Whippet are abnormally high and further investigation will be required, as the young whippet not only finished first in the female category but finished in a time that also beat the fastest legitimate male competitor, the honest Brett Lewis from First National. Lucky Lewis also took out the Maillot Jaune, the raffle and would have one the egg & spoon race if we had that as team alliance found their best form after joining the table of Diesel, Lucas, Elbows and the fancy footed Stacey.  The overall winner was undoubtedly the sound of the Venge ripping up the bitumen as Mr Lucas crossed the line.

After checking Strava, I was pleased to see i had made the podium in my weight range and as the only cyclist from the Pirie Cycling club to have completed the segment, I was proudly standing on top of that dias!! 

Tyler had managed to stay upright during this morning effort and we cruised back to Cowell for our visit to the Primary school.

Another great effort by the school that had done a poster day in the competition for the kindly donated Bike from our good friends at bike society and the RMHC and bike safety talk were given.

As the children had assembled outside we kept the talk brief, and in bardays haste in asking questions and choosing the child to answer, he had unwittingly set himself up for an early Muppet award that would be difficult to budge even for Tyler!

This faux Pax was identifying the child to answer the question by saying "yes, the boy in the hat", The school being sun smart had actually had every single child in a hat and this form of identification was not dissimilar to playing Where's Wally?

Muppet Awarded to Bade Stapleton by bade Stapleton.

Dishonorable mentions for the muppet were to Stifler for riding helmet less, although the red wine from the previous night may have protected him in the event of a fall? Actually the Stifler would never fall from his bike, so no damage done.

Nugget also got an dishonourable mention for a demeanour so insignificant it was not worth mentioning. (Nugget, I have your back.........Dont forget to return the favour please!) Tyler would have undoubtedly taken an unprecedented Hat trick of Muppet awards given he magaed to lose a previous muppet award and rode the day with two different socks!

With only 30 kms under the belt, we pushed on to the Morning Tea break, which was a mere 60kms away.  Somewhere between 2.30pm and 3.30pm I have little recollection of the ride as I had disappeared in the black abyss of the hurt locker as the temperature rose and so to my corresponding heart rate that tapped out at 179bpm, or had somehow started reading Nuggets garmin?

Nugget had commented that he had previously tapped out during the individual TT chasing down the rider that had started 30 seconds in front of him, and whilst he had managed to chase down this rider in 2 kms of the 10 km TT, for some reason had decided to sit on the wheel and as he so eloquently put it "Tapped Out", and couldn't or wouldn't make a pass!

I was awoken from this dark place momentarily by the ringing of the fence wires as some local fauna after being spooked by the passing peleton decided to jump into the fence instead of over it.  I wasn't sure who felt worse, the unfortunate kangaroo, Tyler or the fatman Lucas!

Finally morning tea, and the realisation as a family that was on their way to the house for their sone Jacob, had also stopped at the pit stop to give their best wishes and cheer us on.  Jacob like bananas as he finished mine for me, obviously also aware by my appearance that I had consumed enough food for one man!

Great work by the support crew once again as they run around to tdo their best to make the riders life as comfortable as possible.  Our thanks to Chloe, Stacey, Linda, Glenn, Bill and jan, Kristen, Katherine and lead car supremo Sturmy, great work guys and girls, the peleton really appreciates all the work you do.

The next 40kms were pretty uneventful other than the odd irrelevant fist pump from the Alliance at the front of the pack.  Most of the riders were feeling better than the 1st day and we started making some good time as we approached Whyalla for another School visit, Lunch and the celebration dinner. 

The last 30 kms of the day was as aforementioned with the normally very accommodating Diesel smashing it out on the front.  (appreciate the goodies from the shop though mate, you can be kind off the bike at least?)

We made Lunch in Whyalla as the longest driveway into a town was completed into a headwind and we relaxed on the foreshore with another lunch as provided by the tireless support crew A team.

Up the hill to Ryano's sons school the Samaritan college, who had completed an amazing effort in fundraising by making milkshakes with a beater attached to a bike and had raised an amazing $700 towards our ever increasing total.  They also donated back to the house the bike that was a prize for them as decided by their student council.  Much appreciated Samaritan College students, you should all feel very proud of yourselves.

We now had a lovely ride back with the wind behind us for the last 6 k's back to the Westlands hotel for our nights rest and the function dinner, so it was now fitting for me to take a turn in the front six.

A couple of hours rest before the night celebrations to either relax by the pool or have some amber carbs while watching the cricket.

Whilst the cricket was relaxing it dint allow us to raise anymore funds unlike the poolside.

The Brick with eyes Demo, and the whippet had decided the pool was for them, and fruitful it was, as a passing ute with tradies onboard had stopped (surprisingly) and reversed to hand the whippet $20 towards the ride for a reason was only apparent after the fact as they had watched the Brick with eyes emerging James Bond like from the pool! anything for the charity, nice work Demo.

Thanks to Katherine, Kent and Hannah, for another great celebration night and more funds raised for the charity.

A great feed for those that got up early and some who had seconds before young Sam Harper had had firsts!  Pork with crackling, you can't ask for more than that!!

Tiger Dave with a hairstyle made only by the specialized prevail helmet and sufferance from alopecia and the hot Australian sun, was in the alliance and also fighting for the title of Stuart O'Grady lookalike competition, as all contestants from the alliance are looking like eligible candidates.

So another day done and as we get tucked up into bed for the next day to Port Augusta, team specialised is finishing off the remaining alcohol left on other patrons tables as the basked in the glory of the sweet smell of success in the trivia quiz competition, that only smelt a little bit like team Google! Well done guys, your integrity is still intact!

Ciao for now and we will be back tomorrow.