We thought yesterday was hard and hot but today took things to another level. All day we fought against strong head and cross winds. It was definitely the hardest day on tour and a day to be long remembered by the riders. For those peddling on the left side of the peloton it was particularly hard as you leaned your bike towards the wind whilst trying to maintain forward momentum.

As a comparison on the day try the following ….

Turn the hair drier on the hottest temperature possible, point it at your face from a distance of 30cm and hold in position for 7 hours. If it gets too hot, hold it even closer and you’ll get thirsty so keep a jug of boiling water handy to drink from. Now rub sea salt into your forehead and trickle some of the boiling water across your forehead so the salt falls into your eyes and you can’t see properly. Now get someone punch you in the stomach until you feel nauseas.

This goes someway to describing the feeling following our 185kms in 41 degree heat. Riding through the country also gives you an immediate appreciation for the sever drought conditions faced by Australia. The land is dry, dead and barren with limited stock. It has been this way through the route (even in Tasmania). It is quite depressing and confronting.

During this atrocious day, the HP team’s preparation and organisation was outstanding. The day ran like clockwork and we delivered the riders safely to Albury by 3:30pm.

Now you won’t believe the next task we were asked to complete: a bike race. Are you kidding? After 180km in dreadful conditions we were asked to race the local Albury Cycling Club in a John McLean foundation fund raising criterium. There were 3 grades and many of the TDK riders dug deep to enter either A, B or C grade. Not only did they enter the race but featured very well with places in all three grades.

At the criterium presentation we presented a wheel chair to a young Cerebral Palsy sufferer, Jack. It was a special chair that Jack could use to have a shower. This will make a huge difference to Jack and his parent who had been showering him on a towel for the last years (this quickly makes you realise why we spend long days like today turn the pedals over).

Needless to say all the riders slept particularly well this night, even the ones sharing with snorers … now there’s another story!

Ross.