Crazy Cycling - Challenge Accepted!

All smiles at the start

As the name might suggest, the Challenge tour, the day that the recreational riders get to ride the same course as the pros, is meant to be a challenge, or at least that's how I interpreted it. And as I have developed as a cyclist it has offered me different challenges, from my first challenge tour in 2009, riding a "flat" course (according to Mr Carl) on a clunker to struggling in cross winds with a crook shoulder (2010) to last year where I finally rode the whole course with Mr Carl and made it under the arch! Actually, last year's was a slight disappointment as I really didn't feel the challenge as I had in previous years, but it was still a lot of fun. It did however leave us wondering whether the time had come to look for challenges elsewhere and both of us took a long time deciding whether to do this years challenge tour or not.

Christmas lights!

Ultimately, I think the lure of a gorgeous route swayed our decision, and we decided very late in the piece to have a go. One of the consequences of making the late decision was that I was possibly a little under prepared, considering the ride was 156 km and I think my previous longest ride was just over 120 km. Part of my brain pointed out that it was only 30 km extra, and I can ride 30 km fairly easy, the other part of my brain pointed out that it's an extra 30 km at the end of 120km and it was going to hurt! Writing this makes me laugh, as I contemplate the notion that some part of me now thinks that 30 km is an easy ride, in 2008 I was terrified riding the 35 km easy route of my first Amy's ride. I think that just maybe, I've improved since then!

Mr Carl - Ready to go!

 
Anyway, 156 km and the King of the Mountain (KOM) at 100 km, lets just say I was a little nervous. But the challenge tour is a good place to be out of your comfort zone, knowing that there is support if something goes wrong gives me the courage to try things I'd probably otherwise talk myself out of. I had no illusions about making it under the arch this year, I was just aiming to make it, and if I didn't have to walk up the KOM it would be a bonus.

Where's my croissant?

The forecast for the day was for pleasant weather, which is at least something that made me smile at awful o'clock that we had to get up at to reach the start on time. We managed to find Brett parked outside his favourite patisserie, Mulots, which happened to be located along the starting road. Unfortunately it wasn't open, otherwise I'm pretty sure we all would have jumped the fence and had a delicious croissant for breakfast!



 

Red Flash at rest

It's always a bit difficult to get multiple thousands of people started, but I was pleasantly surprised when we rolled across the official start line just 10 minutes after the official start time. The police escorted us to the base of the free way, where I was again surprised that we had been given two lanes! One of the most dangerous times in previous challenge tours has been the start where so many riders are crammed together, riding at different speeds with different skill levels. Having two lanes of the freeway up the hill allowed everyone a bit of a chance to get comfortable and find their legs.

Not tired - still posing!

We had ridden the beginning of the freeway the Sunday before, and both Brett and I commented that it felt much harder this time. later we realised that the lack of breeze made it a very stuffy ride, making us feel like we were almost swimming up the hill. It did make me a bit nervous, knowing that I was in for a more difficult ride and feeling like it was already harder then it should be.

 




 

Spectator on the course

Eventually we slogged our way up the freeway and the first little bit of down hill into Stirling was a welcome relief, right until we hit a traffic jam of riders! Still there are worse traffic jams to be caught in and it soon resolved itself. We had a quick stop at the first rest stop, then took off down some of the best rolling downhill I think I have ever ridden. I'm not a fan of steep downhills, but roads that have gentle curves, beautiful scenery and a slight downwards gradient always bring a smile to my face as I fly along effortlessly at 30 to 40 km/hr.

Food!

All too soon it was over and we were at another rest stop. This feeling of flying pretty much continued all the way to the main rest area at Mount Pleasant, which tested our CX skills. In fact, the sandy entrance made sure all riders stopped and walked in, which probably wasn't a bad idea, considering the bedlam that normally occurs at rest stops! There were plenty of snacks, cake, biscuits and fruit, though I was a little confused by the basket of lemons on offer. After a few snacks, a top up of the water bottle, we were on our way again.

Refuel Time

This was where I started to get nervous, we were 80km in and I knew another 20km would have us at the KOM. I knew there was an escape route if I needed it, but apart from my shoulder being a bit sore, I was feeling pretty good, so I talked myself into giving it a good go up what was reputed to be a difficult hill. 

  

Still not tired!

Well, soon enough we reached it, having decided not to take the escape route, we turned left and up we went. An air filled arch marked the beginning of the climb and there were spectators already lining the sides. Each of them cheered us as if we were the pros, which always makes me feel fantastic and is definitely one of the highlights of the ride.
 

 

Happy people at the top!

The hill had a fair kick to it and I was just beginning to contemplate the notion of walking when a bupa trooper told me I was almost at the top! Now, I've run into the bupa troopers before, and I'm not sure I'd like to pay their coffee bill, they're super enthusiastic, and often armed with loud speakers and jelly beans! In short they're pretty awesome, however they're known for slightly bending the truth when it comes to important things like gradient and remaining distance. So I was very surprised when I turned a corner and the road flattened! I was even more surprised when I looked ahead and saw the Arch marking the top of the climb, not up but ahead, as in not much high than where I was currently. It occurred to me at that point that I had made it to the top! It was all down hill from here!

KOM

Those of you who know the route can now stop laughing, as it turns out, I was a little bit incorrect, well a lot incorrect! I'm sure I can be forgiven for having happy thoughts at the top of the KOM. From the top of the KOM, we crossed the reservoir and headed up and it was at this point I asked Brett if he was sure it was all down hill to the finish. As it turns out, he'd just assumed! Oh well, I'd thought the same thing and we were in this thing together so up we slogged. We rode along the ridge line for a while, undulating with the wind starting to catch our wheels. Then we began one of the scariest descents I think I've ever ridden. The road wasn't bad, but it was just so steep and with the wind picking up it was white knuckles time trying to stay on the road! We dropped from the top of the ridge line to sea level in a matter of minutes and I know I went over 70km/hr! Eventually the road flattened and I could relax my grip on the bike, but it took a while longer for my heart rate to slow, as we turned left to ride along the coast.

The view from the road

Just enough energy to grin!

Did I mention wind earlier? If I thought it was bad catching my wheels, it was worse as a headwind, struggling to pedal 20km/hr. It was so demoralising, thinking we were home free after the KOM then turning into a roaring wind! At least that's what it felt like at the time, it probably wasn't that bad in reality.

We were now into that last 30 km I had been so worried about. As it turns out, I was probably right to worry, not that it helped! My shoulder was trying to see if it could blind me with intense stabbing pain and the only time it stopped hurting was when we were going uphill. Then my legs promptly started complaining, reminding me that I had promised them downhill from the KOM. To sum it up, I was in a fair bit of agony, but all I had to do was keep turning the pedals.


A bit of calculation at the next rest stop made us realised if we pushed, we might just make it under the arch! It was fairly unbelievable that we'd even come close, but that we might make it? So it was time to push and my shoulder would just have to suck it up!

My knight in shining lycra

Unfortunately for a lot of the remaining ride, 20km/hr was a huge struggle for both Brett and I, with one or both of us losing contact with Mr Carl at various points in time. But Mr Carl was our captain, and rallied us to keep going. We flew past the last rest stop in a desperate attempt to make the arch crossing, only for me to be stopped in my tracks as a hill loomed before us! All I had to do was keep turning the pedals, and that is all I did. Slowly I crept closer to the top, one pedal stroke at a time. I knew if I stopped, I wouldn't start again so I kept going until I saw my two knights in shining lycra waiting for me at the top.

Still too much energy!

And that was the last hill, with that we sped on (not breaking any speed records) towards Victor Harbor. With 10 minutes to spare, the three of us lined up and crossed under the arch together and I know I couldn't have done it without them! From there it was food and much to my delight, ice packs! Bupa gave out numerous passport sized reusable ice packs, chilled and ready to go. I probably would have kissed one of the Bupa troopers had I been able to get off the ground. That and the frozen icy poles that they had made me feel a little more human, still it wasn't long before I had found a seat on the bus and promptly fell asleep!

Suffer file here