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We split into 3 groups - the slow, the slower and the slowest. The enthusiasm for racing exhibited during the past couple of days had well and truly dissipated and today would be all about survival. Many of the riders had the scares of 5 years ago when only 13 riders from a possible 28 made the final climb to Thredbo. The others were ferried up the mountain in the support vehicles with their heads bowed in defeat. I must say, this group had a different "feel" about it. There was a high degree of confidence and willingness in the peloton, primarily due to two factors:
- Technological Advancements: many of the riders had brought a climbing gear (a 27 or 29 tooth gear on the back cluster). This gear significantly reduces the resistance or power required by the rider, effectively allowing them to "spin" up steep inclines. This technology was not available in 2003 when the tour last ascended Dead Horse Gap (the final ascent).
- The Shame of failure: the riders who didn't make the climb in 2003 have never been allowed to forget it. The video and photographic images of cyclists being "chauffeured" up Dead Horse Gap is imprinted in the memories of the 2003 tourists. Those who failed have constantly been reminded of their shortfall by those who succeeded in conquering the mountain. Being a member of this "soft" club was not a comfortable position and for many Saturday March 17th 2007 provided the opportunity to finally cancel their membership.
We took off in half hour intervals, each pack with a support vehicle. The weather was incredibly hot an humid which was not typical of Corryong and it wasn't long before my jersey was soaking wet with sweat. Having ridden in the mountains before however I remembered how variable the temperature and weather conditions could be so I made sure I carried a wind vest in my jersey pocket.
During the first 40km we climbed to Murray Power Station 1, an elevation of 1000m. This was a difficult climb and warmed up the legs nicely for what was to come. The first timers by this stage were getting most concerned and the following conversation was heard numerous times:
"How does Dead Horse Gap compare to that", first time rider.
"Much steeper".
"Oh $%^&!". (Turning to the support vehicle). "Can I get a carbo gel".
As I suspected, the weather turned and we entered the "cloud" zone just before the descent - time for the wind vest. The descent from Murray Power 1 is fantastic however not for the faint of heart. If the weather is clear it is a great rush for the down hill demons however on this occasion the ride was severely hampered because you could only see 10m in front of you and there had been oil spilled from a truck - a great combination when you're travelling 80km/h on 23mm tyres.
After the descent the road undulates through some magnificent country and it's a really peaceful segment of road that leads to Tom Groggin at the bottom of Dead Horse Gap. The calm before the storm ...
After a short stop at Tom Groggin to refuel the water bottles and dump as much sugar you can into your system it is off to the world of hurt. The first 6km section of the climb is the worst. It is constant climb of 13% with no relief, apart from the switchbacks which allow you to change direction. I purposely wanted to do this section of road solo so I waited until all the gathered riders had departed and then started the climb alone. There was only one group behind me, the Joey Vernados group (more on that soon).
I wanted to ride solo for one reason - to thank God for my blessings. Many of us had been so humbled during the week by the people we had met, people in less fortunate positions than ourselves (the autistic kids and their families in Tassie, the indigenous kids building belief in themselves at Shepparton, Jack with Cerebral Palsy in Albury), and the list goes on. The challenging first section of this climb provided me this opportunity and as a husband of a beautiful wife and father of 2 beautiful kids I wanted to thank God for my family and their health and safety - in retrospect it was an amazing experience.
The shared experience of conquering the climb with my fellow riders also came during the final 12kms. I shared the experience with two originals - Foxy and Gibbo. Foxy was doing it particularly tough this day and I think he appreciated the company and encouragement as we edged ever closer to that sought after summit. (In fact I don't think I have ever seen someone "scull" a can of coke quicker than Foxy as he clambered on ascent for a sugar hit).
The summit is a magnificent sight after a long week of riding and as each rider crossed that magic line they fell into the arms of their comrades and thus began the long series of embraces, congratulations, image capture and reflections. Each had a story to tell and a collective sense of accomplishment filled the chilly Thredbo air.
Over an hour and a half passed between the first rider summiting and the final group reaching the peak. However no one complained of the cold, windy conditions and with a warm heart each rider eagerly anticipated the arriv al of the final group. And what a finale it was!
With the final group in sight, comprised of big 120kg Joey Vernados and his domestiques, the riders and supporters made a human tunnel. Big Joey, with tears of joy flowing, led the group through the tunnel as a collective cheer rang through the mountain range - an amazing accomplishment for the big man!
The job was done, the journey complete and a huge congratulations to all the riders and the wonderful support crew that may the week so special.
The riding statistics for the day were:
- Distance: 102.29 km
- Riding time: 4h:41min
- Avg Speed: 21.8 km/h
- Total Ascent: 3039m
To conclude, here's a few interesting and "eye-opening" consumption statistics from the tour. The riders consumed:
• 19.25 kg of Snakes (lollies)
• 104 kg of Bananas
• 4 litres of Sunscreen
• 5 tubes of Zinc cream
• 5 tubes of Butt/Lip cream
• 384 Power Gels
• 8 litres of powdered Endura
• 128 Massages
(A big week by any measure)
Thanks for your support and reading our blog.
Westy
A Note from Wardy:
Backing up a few days in a row is something I am not used to, and my knee let me know about it. I had given myself what has now been diagnosed as Patella Tendonitis, which turns out to basically be a sore knee from overuse. As a result, I was not able to ride at all on day 5, and could only muster 25km’s on day 6 so I was forced to spend some time in the van trying to rest and recover for the last day. I had come to finish the TDK for all sorts of reasons and I wasn’t going to let a bit of pain get in the way of climbing to Thredbo.
I went off on day 7 with the first of 3 groups. The ride towards Dead Horse was at first fairly standard. Undulating roads leading into the valley, but the mountains were looming in the distance. The first of the “pinches” was a fairly good climb that took us about 400 meters above sea level, and what I though was well on the way to the top of Thredbo. However; the descent on the other side took us to a lower point then where we started….compounding this was the fact that I had just been told at the bottom of this descent that Thredbo was almost 1400m above sea level. Great!!
My knee was holding out and actually seemed less painful when I was climbing. This was quite fortuitous as I only had one way to go, and that was up. After what seemed like hours of riding (actually it was hours) the real climb actually began. All week I had been hearing about Dead Horse and how it had taken its toll on the group a few years before. I tried to keep up a bit of speed for the first few km’s but was eventually beaten back to a painful 8km/hr and there were times when zig-zagging across the road was needed to stop me falling sideways from lack of speed. Gel shots, snakes, bananas and powerade was going down as fast as I could get my hands on them. Bonking (running out of energy) was my biggest fears this day.
After 5.5 hours of riding I could only muster an average speed of 19km/hr such was the climb, but managed 85km/hr on a descent. I had used 4010 and my heart rate had reached 176 beats per minute. However; regardless of stats the most important thing was that I finished. I had made it to the top!! I didn’t think riding a bike would/could be so emotional, but it was. I had conquered the “hill” that everyone was talking about, and I had done it for all the right reasons. There were a few tears behind the sunnies I can tell you….
Wardy | 