Getting closer to Melbourne
Day 5 – From Corryong to Wangaratta
Total riding: 185km, ascent 2,100m
&
Day 6 – Wangaratta to Eildon
Total riding: 207km, ascent 2,700m
Day 5……and the alarm went off at 5:00am…..
Oh my legs hurt. My shoulders ache. And you don’t want to know about my rear….this is seriously tough. 180km today! After the Sunrise crosses, we rolled out and enjoyed a long flattish start to the day. My legs appreciated this and after 20 minutes, my bum thankfully turned numb! We hit our first climb of the day, but after Day’s monsters, this was very manageable and my legs responded well. The body is an amazing machine, especially when cared for…..major note to self for post tour!
We did a number of great school visits on that day and these are so uplifting. We draw energy from the amazing schools we visited; especially in the country towns and to see our message being taken in and absorbed is so gratifying. It got hot today. 30 degrees without shade is sapping and by lunch, the combination of ‘lumpy’ terrain and lost sweat was taking its toll. Hooray for lunch. The engine loves fuel and the world looked better after a good feed. That said, the 10kms of post-lunch climbing to Beechworth used much of this fuel.Then we hit Beechworth and blow me over, the road sloped downhill for the 40km to Wangaratta. Woohoo, we cranked it up and pounded for home. After my fears of the morning, the feeling of making it was brilliant.
Day 6 was not easier but we made it as well! We have successfully ridden over 200km, climbed 2,700 metres and reached Eildon… because we didn`t climb enough so far!
……and then it was 5:00 am… again…I beat the alarm today. Breakie was early and we did some Sunrise crosses before we rolled at 6:30am. Australian cycling legends, Phil Anderson and Belinda Goss have joined the team today and will ride with us until Launceston. Phil sent us off in style. The first 50km was dead flat – just beautiful. We cruised through it, warming the legs up but being careful to conserve our energy. We stopped at Whitfield for a school visit and then the terrain changed…..yup, you guessed it, we started to climb again.
I surprised myself and climbed the 20km rise very well. I think the legs are getting stronger and this combined with great weather had me feeling ok. Many others were also doing far better than they expected. We already have 2 of our crew off bike with some gastrointestinal that is going round, so it is good to feel ok. The scenery helps. This is a beautiful country and this route is one of TdC’s best ever. We reached Mansfield after a huge descent and caught up with another bunch of school kids. One of the kids had spent Monday night riding around the neighbourhood and raised $225 for us – champion!
A new group of guest riders joined us in Mansfield and will ride with us to Melbourne. They are a welcome addition to the team and seem to be a super bunch of dedicated individuals who have all clearly trained hard.
The first 30k after lunch was fairly flat and this helped lunch settle. That soon changed when we turned onto the Eildon road. It went straight up and we all climbed at our own pace. The TdC support kicked in. People on the road side cheering us, music playing etc… Just fantastic! The distraction was great and I reached afternoon tea. A quick feed and drink and we continued. Another 4km and there’s the top! What next, yes, it is a descent, a big one. But no, it is not the end. We drop back into a valley but only to climb out again! The k’s passed and the final summit came yeah! The roads were wet and greasy from more rain and it was getting dark. But blow me over (not hard right now), there was Eildon. We had made it. The elation overcame the pain for a moment and the emotions flooded through. We rode into town and the hugs and back slaps were incredibly real.
I had a look at the road that we have done so far and we have now run over 1060 km and climbed 14708m… aie aie aie!
Have a look at the amazing photos that have been taken during those last two day, they give a great view into the tour and highlight not just the riding, but the schools, the corporates and the people we meet.
https://www.tourdecure.com.au/pages/news/gallery
Finally, a huge thank you to all of you who are supporting me through this amazing journey! I appreciate every single dollar!
More to come!
Guillaume
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