Day Six: Wangaratta to Eildon
Epic. Physically spent. Not sure how I am going to go backing up tomorrow.
Today saw us ride a total of 209 kilometres and climb over 2,500 vertical metres through some of the most picturesque parts of Victoria I have ever visited. Being from Victoria, some of the roads we rode along are truly hidden gems. After leaving Wangaratta at 6.30 a.m., the first 40 kilometres were relatively uneventful as we rode along a flat stretch of road that took us to Whitfield. It was a great way to ease into the ride and enjoy the sunrise. After stopping at Whitfield Primary, we commenced our first climb of the day just out of Whitfield on the Mansfield-Whitfield Road. It wasn’t a long climb, but still afforded some beautiful views over vast valleys, with spectacular transmission lines providing some “wow” factor at the peak. The winding decline into Mansfield was a lot of fun, and the peloton was literally held up on the descent by a ute pulling a horse float.
The peak of the climb on the Mansfield-Whitfield Road
We arrived at Mansfield for lunch, where all the children from the different primary schools in the town came together at Mansfield Primary School for our school visit – another great example of a local community coming together to support us. We departed Mansfield along the Mansfield-Woods Point Road, and whilst the scenery was special, it was an entree compared to what we were about to experience when we turned right onto the Eildon-Jamieson Road shortly thereafter. Challenging climbs, winding descents, spectacular views, and all the time surrounded by lush forests with tall Mountain Ash gums and pretty streams.
The first climb on the Eildon-Jamieson Road was the most challenging, despite it only being 8 kilometres in length. We stopped half way up the climb at an amazing lookout that provided spectacular views over Lake Eildon. After a long gradual descent, we took upon the second climb on the Eildon-Jamieson Road that wasn’t as steep as the first but was far longer. With 170 kilometres already in our legs, this second climb was more of a mental challenge than a physical one. After reaching the peak, we commenced a long windy descent into Eildon, that was not only a lot of fun, but also a great way to end the day. Euphoria was the prevailing emotion when we got off our bikes.
Riding up one of the climbs on the Eildon-Jamieson Road
Nathan Jones joined us today as a guest rider. Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend much time with him in the peloton, suffice to say he is looking STRONG – he’s got me covered on the bike. At the community dinner, a $5,000 cheque was presented to Alexander Base Hospital, who do some tremendous work with cancer patients in the local area.
I need some sleep. We are heading into Melbourne tomorrow, and being able to see my family before we jump on the Spirit of Tasmania for our overnight trip to Davenport will give me a lot of fuel and help me get through the day.
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