29
Mar
2014

Day 2 – Bundanoon to Canberra – a sunshiney day!

Today started with a foggy and dark beginning and chowing down on porridge, toast and pancakes (at least I think it was – I started before the lights turned on :))

Had a go in the catering truck doing my turn on dishes duty – fark me there are a lot of plates when 145 people go on tour.  8 tea towels wet I think!

A quick briefing and peleton 1 left under the watchful eye of Sunrise after JT’s weather cross.  I was in peleton 2 for today and we left 30mins after and headed out on damp roads and foggy skies.  a great little town with many picturesque sights, so green down here! I found myself riding alongside Rob, who was a great guy to chat with and had some good stories of TdC rides of past and some personal moments about his reason for being there and the impacts Cancer has made on his family, losing his wife and mother of his son.  Such is the trusting and confiding tone of the conversations you have with people you have only just met on tour.  Thanks Rob!

Soon the sun was breaking the clouds and we had beams poking through the trees and making a pleasing sight indeed. A dry road and kilometres passed without so much as a traffic light, intersection or mechanical stop for 35kms.  a quick comfort break and then arrived at morning tea prepared for us by the wonderful crew and the Vittoria truck serving coffees (we are lucky enough to have Tom and Jerry (real names) manning the Vittoria truck all tour and followus the whole way – stopping at least twice a day to serve us a fresh brew!)

On to Tarago and we stopped at the school (101kms under our belts by now)  We were greeted by ringing cow bells and kids with parents lining the country gravel driveways we rode across the playground and parked in their shed.  A quick bite for lunch (Curry! – no one wants to be at the back of the pack in the afternoon – wonder why???)  Peleton 1 had already presented the school with an iPad, Canon DSLR and Printer (a school of only 45 students) They were so excited as nothing ever really happens for them like this in Tarago – hence why they were only too pleased to turn up to school on a Saturday.  Berets was a big star there and comical as always.

I had organized to pickup a replacement phone in Canberra from an Optus Yes store (thanks to Adam Sawtell – Optus franchisee)  But was not sure I’d make it before closing.  I jumped into peleton 1 to leave earlier (so I missed out on my waffle cone for desert :()  Whilst also making a call to see if our good friend Kate could have a friend of hers in Canberra collect it for me and drop it off at our hotel.

 

Off we rode and the speed was good from the get-go.  A much faster ride than yesterday.  many rolling hills and open roads.  So many cars toot as they drive past, hands waving out the windows.  We have even had 2 cars pass money out the windows to donate!

A few kms down the road and the road headed skyward a little – our only ‘climb’ for the day – a nice 9% grade.  Climb at you rown speed was the call so we broke into our own pace and after 1/3rd of the way up a little 6 man breakaway made itself present.  Was good fun chasing and passing each other up the hill and once we crested the top, the 6 of us hit the descent hard and chased through the turns as we swapped front riders as each of us fatigued.  Was a nice ride highlight as we worked together to hold some good speed and arrive at the coffee van for arvo tea.

Getting further into the rides – not only does the food and drink come out of the cars for refreshment, but our trusty support team also walk around with a bag of other goodies ‘ Butt cream, handwipes and hand sanitiser’ is the call as they move through the crowd of weary riders lol! 🙂

Back in Canberra we arrive as the only shower of the day begins, we beat the rain!  And then I got the welcome message from Sam, my phone was in her room!  Thanks Kate!

 

Dinner at Rydges was a biggie, with many people from the community attending, a very generous donation from Life technologies to the Cancer research labs of $537,000 was made too

 

A good day!

 

 

 

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A good day!



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