Monday, July 30, 2018

Entry Confirmed - Gulp

So that's it. The deal is done. The entry is confirmed (for the OMM). I've heard there are some lovely views to be had in the Black Mountains at the end of October - mainly mist, fog and rain....

So tonight, to keep my dream of completing the Tour de Oz alive, I needed to complete one of the two missed stages. With my legs feeling tired I decided on the shorter of the two missing stages, stage two at just 22km and 200m ascent. To be fair it doesn't really mean much but I've set myself the target and it'll be nice to meet the goal.

I wasn't feeling it at the start and set off pretty pedestrian. After a bit I started to edge the pace up a little. Then after a couple of kilometres in I found myself leading a pair of riders who just sat on me for about 2km without taking any of the work at the front (and yes, drafting, even in the virtual world, is simulated). That irked me a little. I know it's only a virtual little world but even so I wasn't having it. I put the hammer down and kept it down until they were but specks in my rear view mirror [don't actually have a rear view mirror but I never saw them again].

After that I caught up to a sporting Brit and we pretty much shared the work all the way to the end. We each tried to make a few break aways but neither of us managed to get fully clear before being reeled back in and so it came down to the sprint finish..... Which I took by no more than a metre or two. Bloody enjoyable and what I thought was going to be just going through the motions became a proper hard work out.

I'm thinking I may pay for the effort tomorrow but nothing is going to stop me completing the 30km of stage three to complete the tour...

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