Day 9 Khancoban to Jindabyne 111kms
Day 9 Khancoban to Jindabyne 111kms with 3200 metres of climbing
Up at 5:20 we split into 2 pelotons and set off early at 6:30. It’s a strange day because after 8 days of group riding we will all split up for the first 70kms. Approx. 40 of us will be responsible for looking after ourselves and the remaining 20 will be a mix of the strongest and weakest riders. The first 12kms were simply awful. No rain, but damp roads, close to freezing and a climb that was way steeper than we expected. Add in bodies that are just waking up and want to be horizontal in bed and it was just a slog. Top of the climb we lost Luke Benjamin, off to hospital with hypothermia. The descent from there was arguably worse. Climbing with layers of clothing means you sweat and the cold wind from the descent meant that I was shivering so much I felt I could shake myself off my bike. Tea break at 30kms had me desperately trying to get my body temperature up.
The big climb starts at 50kms so kms 30 to 50 I rode gently on my own trying to save my legs and not get too chilled on the descents. So to the climb. This was the toughest 2 hours of the tour. To help, I headed off into my only little world of solitude. It was an emotional climb. At least a quarter of the riders broke down in tears at the top, me included. David Collins had a recording of my daughter singing Better come home soon by Crowded House blaring as I crested Dead Horse Gap, if that’s not a tear jerker nothing is. Fellow rider Steve I noticed was draped over the bonnet of the truck with thermal blankets to keep warm, he was not in a good way, I wrapped myself around him for warmth, the wind chill was cutting, until we convinced him in the car was where he needed to e to get warm. Then it was a quick frozen decent down to Thredbo village to refuel & warm up with a hot chocolate.
A number didn’t make it after riding 1400kms unaided, they had to jump in the support cars which clearly felt personally disappointing but put properly in perspective was meaningless relative to what these riders have achieved and contributed.
How did I feel. Very elated but also very relieved. All 5 Optus riders completed the climb well and without incident so down at lunch at the ski resort in Thredbo there were plenty of congratulatory hugs. The remaining 41kms into Jindabyne was scary for me, I was tired & managed to get the speed wobbles on one of the descents which spooked me for the rest of the ride. As the cross wind had picked up. I was relieved to arrive in Jindy. For the first time on tour there was free time to spend chilling, I stretched, turned my legs upside down & enjoyed copious amounts of hot tea before dinner.
The tally at the end of day 9 for this year’s fund raising……A$2,280,183 and counting!
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