Day Three: Canberra to Adaminaby
Day three produced another amazing day of riding. We covered a total distance of 180 kilometres, climbed over 2,000 vertical metres, and rode up our first major climb of the tour, a 9 kilometre peak on the Snowy Mountain Highway that took us to an elevation of 1,250 metres above sea level. We left Canberra this morning in foggy conditions, but as we ascended a four kilometre climb that took us out of the ACT, the sun broke out, and we were greeted with our first view of the mighty Snowy Mountains. The next 80 kilometres saw us ride along rolling hills to Cooma, with the changing weather conditions making the last 60 kilometres challenging. Blustery and wet conditions are not ideal when you find yourself at the front of the peloton. After refuelling with lunch in Cooma, we tackled a short climb and then turned right onto the Snowy Mountain Highway. The next 20 kilometres were the most challenging of the tour so far but incredibly scenic, as we could see the road ahead weave through the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. After completing the aforementioned climb, we commenced a descent into Adaminaby, which was not only a lot of fun but incredibly picturesque with the Snowy Mountains acting as a backdrop.
With all the kilojoules we are burning, calorie consumption has gone through the roof. To give you a sense of the amount of food I am consuming, my daily intake today comprised of the following (all gluten free of course):
BREAKFAST: Two pieces of bread, an energy bar, some fruit and a coffee.
MORNING TEA: A cheese, ham and tomato sandwich and a coffee.
LUNCH: Two cannelloni, two fish fillets and some corn on a cob.
DINNER: Roast beef with vegetables.
WHILST RIDING: An inordinate amount of energy bars and sports drinks.
Believe it or not, I am not putting any weight on.
At tonight’s community dinner, a $5,000 cheque was presented to the Cooma Hospital to help them purchase an oxygen machine. This will be used to help those in the local region suffering from lung cancer, where a common side effect is shortness of breath. We also heard Tour de Cure rider Daren Armstrong talk about his cancer journey, which has involved three seperate diagnoses since 2001, all unrelated. He only completed radiation therapy for a tumour that formed on the palate of his mouth as recently as January, and he is now riding from Sydney to Hobart some three months later. Wow.
Time for some sleep. Apparently it doesn’t get any easier tomorrow – the Snowy Mountains beckon.
Leave a message for me:
If you want you can even spread the word and post it on facebook.
