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TBB Day4 เขียน:
Day 4 of the race dawned much the same as the last three. Up just after 5am, down to brekky, back up to our rooms to ensure all race paraphernalia was accounted for. Salt tablets, gels, energy drinks, shoes, socks, helmets, sunglasses, gloves and race numbers properly secured to our jerseys. Make the bladder and bowels are as empty as possible, as it's just extra weight to drag around. Check the pressure of the tires, load the bike onto the bike transport vehicles, board our team minivan, and get driven to the start line. Whilst on the way, pump up the team soundtrack for ToF, songs as varied as Collette's Ring My Bell, The Eagles Hotel Calfornia and Psuedo Echo's Funky Town. Not having thought to bring our own music, we've been limited to using our driver's collection, but the CD has found a place in our hearts. Apply sunscreen, vaseline to the eyebrows (to stop the sweat dripping in the eyes) and have a final chat about any team tactics we should try to employ for the stage.
At the start line we were informed that the stage was going to be 151kms, with a 5km neutral ride to the start line. Another 156kms! Some guys have never ridden over 140km before, so backing up from yesterday's monster in the 160's was going to be trying on the legs. As per yesterday, the Opens, Juniors and 50's groups rolled out first, with the 30's and 60's 5 mins behind. 40's and Ladies were the last to leave.
The start to our race went as much as we thought it would. For the first 30kms we rolled along at a very sedate average of about 34km/hr. Absolutely nobody wanted to try and attack the peloton too early in the day, as there was a lot of kilometres to get through. However, at the 35km mark, just as we started climbing the foothills to the first climb, attacks came pretty quickly. Igor managed to get up the road with a couple of others and it took a great pull at the front of the peloton by Sebastian Barnard (ANZA) to get us back into visual distance of the breakaway. Then came the first climb at the 50km mark. Tim C had told us all that it would be key to get up and over the first climb as close to the front of the race as possible. With that in mind, I followed Tim's wheel up the first couple of kilometres. We caught the breakaway, and Igor jumped into the group which consisted of two teamTBB (Tim and I), two Joyriders (Michel and ?), Tim Wilkins (ANZA) and three other local riders. It wasn't a gruelling climb, but testing nonetheless. No shade, 7kms straight up with no respite from the blazing sun, and not a breath of wind to help keep the temperature down. About a third of the way up, I was following Igor's wheel, concentrating on tapping out a good rhythm on the pedals, just focussing on the rear wheel in front of me. Sweat was dripping off arms, hands, legs, elbows and chin; water just exiting the body like it had never had any business being there.
I gradually became aware that my pace was slowly dropping, and I looked up to find Igor had let the seven others get 100m up the road. A good lesson to be learnt - never follow the biggest bastard in the peloton up a climb, he's not going to the be quickest in the lead group, no matter how strong he is! I accelerated around him, he then got on my wheel and tried to keep the pace, but soon disappeared behind. I gradually picked off two more of the Thai riders as they dropped from the high pace the two Tims were setting. I could see they were in the lead, the two Joyriders also getting gradually dropped. In no man's land, my only option was to keep pressing on at my threshold, hoping not lose too much ground so that at the top I could work on catching the guys up front. I dragged the two Thai guys up and over, and to my relief, we caught the Tims and Joyriders again who had dropped the pace a little. Unbeknown to me at the time, Ryan had gone up the road in an attempt to capture the King of Mountain points. He was pipped by one of the Gold City riders, but it was an amazing effort. Over the top, together with a couple of Open riders, we formed a small break group of around 10. However, we couldn't get the dynamics of the group to work properly, and after about another 20kms of serious rolling hills, the peloton caught us up again. At the same time, Patrick Poetzsch (ANZA) and a number of the 40's age group joined our peloton. Suddenly there were riders from the Opens, Juniors, 30's and 40's all riding in a large bunch. Thankfully Pete and Nic had ridden across to us as well, so we were now at almost our full team complement. Unfortunately, Dave popped on the first climb, couldn't get back across to the peloton at the top, which consigned him to ride the remaining 90kms virtually solo. True Dave form though, he never gave up and still finished the stage.
We now found ourselves riding through some really pretty countryside which was a welcome change from the dry and featureless last couple of stages. We skirted a large lake, passed through some small local farming towns, all the while getting closer and closer to the next mountain range. The peloton again settled into a fairly comfortable pace until the two Joyrider boys mounted a stealthy attack and went up the road. No other teams seemed to consider them a threat however, and they were allowed to go. One by one, a few other riders rode across to them, then Igor did the same. Their group managed to stay away from sight for quite some time, and it wasn't until Tim C got concerned about Igor getting too big a gap before the final climb and thus posing a threat to his GC position that any action was taken to reel them back in. Tim C went to the front, marshalling the rest of us, and we drove the pace up. A few other riders joined in, and we finally had them in our sights. Igor gave up and rejoined the main group, but the two Joyriders and a few others pressed on, always just a couple of hundred metres up the road. We were happy to leave them out there, cooking themselves in a small group whilst the mass of the peloton relentlessly bore down on them.
Tim C came up to me and told me that he and I should attack at the point when the peloton caught the breakaway, also asking me how I felt. I'd been feeling up and down since the first climb (no pun intended). Getting enough energy drink, water and salt tablets into my stomach had me feeling very queasy at times. I was going through good and bad patches. I told him I didn't think I'd go too well up the looming climb, but that I'd see how I felt and I'd work for him as much as possible. If we managed to get a break on the peloton, we could secure his first place in the GC and bump me up to second. In theory it all sounded great.
It was now about 10kms before the start of the climb. The break was actually starting to put some more distance into the peloton, but again nobody seemed too concerned. All the GC contenders were in the bunch, except for Michel (Joyriders). He was successfully flying below everyone's radar, except ours. Tim went around one of the water motorcycle outriders as a few of the people at the front were getting passed drinks. He very gradually pulled away from everyone, then realising that he had made a small break, put on the accelerator and moved away. I was sitting about eight riders back, watching for any counter attack, but none came. The peloton had let the main GC contender get away! I sat still for a while, gradually working my way closer to the front. Tim was now at least 500m up the road, having disappeared around a corner, and making progress into joining the small group of riders up front. At this point, four riders from the 40's were on the front of the peloton. They dropped the pace, sat up and started receving water from the outriders. Sensing absolutely everyone was napping, I weaved through them, dropped a few gears and time trialled up the road. I looked back after about 30secs to ensure I wasn't pulling anyone up the road with me, especially Igor, but again not one person had responded. I put my head down, dialled the speed up to above 50km/hr, and focussed on regaining sight of the others. Another 30secs passed, still no one was behind me. I was away! It took me about 3kms to catch the group. It consisted of Michel (Joyriders), Tim C (teamTBB), two other local riders in the 30's category, and about four riders from the Open category. I had a quick rest at the back of the group, then started working on getting as much a gap from the peloton as possible before the climb. Tim, Michel and I, realising what a great opportunity was before us, started echeloning at about 45km/hr, sometimes helped by one of the other riders. We were feeling good, our time gap could only be increasing, and the end of the stage was fast approaching. All that was between us and a great result was an amazingly steep 7km climb, followed by another 10kms of unrelenting rolling hills.
We caught the overall leader of the Opens at the foot of the climb. The climb itself started quite gently, deceptively increasing the gradient ever so slightly as we continued. Again it was all about tapping out a good rhythm on the pedals. Before long, people started dropping. Tim was feeling great, setting a cracking pace up the hill again. I started feeling a little lethargic, and knew that if the gamble to break from the peloton was going to pay off, I'd have to race up at my own pace. Tim drew away, as did Dan, the Opens leader. 3.5kms up the climb, the gradient kicked up to almost 20%. I was feeling OK, but not fantastic. That was to be expected though, we'd already covered 144kms to get there. Then everything went haywire. All energy went from my legs, my heart rate went through the roof and my speed fell to 15km/hr. I felt as though I was pushing a hard gear, but was already in my easiest. Support motorcycles and vans started passing me, and I knew the front of the peloton must be catching me. I tried to increase the pace. Michel caught and went past me, then Tim Wilkins (ANZA) did the same. All thoughts of a good GC position went out the window, and I was just trying to survive.
But I didn't. Both hamstrings cramped at the same time. I tried to keep going. It was impossible. I had to get off the bike, which is always the death-knell to any rider. As I dismounted, my left calf cramped, and I knew it was all over. As I stood up, the world starting doing circles, and I quickly lowered my head to the handlebars. Rather than just stay on the side of the road in one position, I kept walking up. It was now too steep to get back on the bike, so there was no other option but to try and walk out the cramps. With my head on the bars, I must have looked a sorry sight, and I felt it. I could see out of my peripheral vision rider after rider pass me. It was an extremely demoralising situation. I was so stuffed that I actually walked into the back of a van parked on the verge of the road. Humiliating! On the plus side, Ryan, Pete then Nic all passed me, going up the mountain at a good clip. Everyone was suffering but still pushing on.
After 1.5kms of walking, the gradient lessened enough to remount the bike. I chucked it into the smallest gear and ground my way to the finish line for what was the hardest 15kms I've ever done on the bike. There was nothing glorious about my finish. I managed to cross the line, almost fell off the bike and lay on the hot bitumen. The team was there to cheer me on and had bottles of cold water ready to pour over me.
They had all done bloody brilliantly. Tim first across the line, all but securing his first on GC for the ToF. Nic had found an inner well of energy and passed Ryan and Pete on the run home. All three we think made it into the top 10 for the day and possibly on GC too. Such a strong team.
After recuperating, we all jumped into the van to go and find Dave. Nobody had seen or heard hide nor hair of him since the first climb, and we were concerned. Just as we were about to pull out, he walked to the van, hands in the air, saying "I finished the bastard". Doing the majority of that ride solo would have been soul destroying. He did himself and the team proud.
Back at the hotel, all except for Nic, who stated that somebody would hate him for saying he felt remarkably good, we're all in various states of shatteredness. Ryan's feeling nauseous, Dave and Pete look stuffed, Tim has knees pains and I'm not sure how I feel, but it isn't good. Strangely enough, somewhere in those last 15kms both my triceps cramped as well, and they're hurting the most at the moment. It's a close competition between my back and hammies as well though.
I have to go and force some more food down my throat, not that I'm hungry. It's another 140+km stage tomorrow, and we've got one mission, to ensure Tim maintains first spot overall. There are no real hills in the stage, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy. Other teams will be attacking constantly, trying to stage an upset. For that, we'll need to be on our guard, covering all threats. Depending on how the results pan out today, Nic may be in striking distance of third on GC, and we'll try to get that as well. For that I need energy and sleep, but not before hunting down some magnesium pills to counter the cramping that may occur in bed tonight. This has been an epic note, but it was an event packed stage today, with a lot to tell.
