Ooooh sore legs!
Day 3 – Canberra to Adaminaby
Total riding: 180km, ascent 2,100m
&
Day 4 – From Adaminaby to Corryong
Total riding: 145km, ascent 3,000m
Hello again everybody,
Here`s an update on the last two day as the reception was too bad to post anything yesterday. Day 3 started at Woolworths in Canberra and we headed out to Cooma. The riding in the morning was tough; busy road, gradual but continual incline and a rough hard shoulder. We spent most of the morning in the shoulder and this meant numerous punctures. This slowed our progress and seriously fatigued our mechanics (again). The rain came back before we reached Cooma and with it the temperature dropped. We reached Cooma after 120kms, wet and cold.. Food at Cooma was brilliant. Hot, wholesome and plentiful; just what I needed and the others who were also finding it tough going. After Cooma we had a couple of solid climbs but luckily, the last 15km into Adaminaby was mostly a beautiful descent. This was a great way to finish day 3 and great day to have banked. This town is a small, beautiful, high country gem. Population of 234 and home to the Big Trout. We’re back in ‘Man From Snowy River’ country and the riding is amazing.
Day 4 was the first of our 3 really big days. Today sat heavily on our minds and tired bodies last night. It was mapped to have significant climbing and day 3 had drained many riders’ legs. The alarm went off at 6 am…..yes that’s right, 6 am awesome! I headed down to breakfast and the Sunrise cross out the front of the Big Trout in the middle of town. It was crisp and misty, but obviously going to be a sunny day – finally. With steep climbs and descents ahead, a clear day was a good start!. The initial riding was relatively flat and smooth and this allows the legs to clear the lactic acid from yesterday and warm up. Sadly, it didn’t last long and the big climbs began. As we were heading toward our first destination, Cabramurra, the highest town in Australia, the climbing really kicked up. Regular long pulls at over 10% and things were warming up. It is during stages like this that the TdC team really comes together.
At Cabramurra, we had a big morning tea and fuelled up for the biggest climb of the day. Within minutes of leaving town, we descended 700 odd metres to the dam over the Tumut Pond Reservoir. This was a hoot, but……we had to go straight back up the other side. 6km at 12% gradient was tough, really tough!
The Tour de Cure do these rides to support people fighting cancer and if our efforts inspire others to reach in their pockets, then today is right up there. From the top, there are still some climbs to go, but the descents are mind blowing. Fast, empty roads and we cut loose. A quick lunch stop and we pushed for Corryong. We made it and I can’t believe we have navigated the 3,000m of Snowy Mountain climbing. Tomorrow is 180km and the next over 200km. Daunting, but tomorrow’s problems. For today, we are true tour cyclists.
Have a look at the pictures from yesterday and today, there are some some stunning scenery in Australia!
https://www.tourdecure.com.au/pages/news/gallery
Cheers,
Guillaume
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