Today was the best day of the race so far. 130km from cold Cooma to sunny Bermagui on the beach.
It started with a sprint lap around Cooma race course in the morning fog. Riding on a bumpy horse track is certainly a challenge when the legs are cold and sore! Then we set off for the 90km race stage to Yowrie (the middle of nowhere by a river).
The race to Yowrie included some grassy paddock riding where i took my first tumble – over the bars and into a muddy ditch! Ouch. After a few moments I realized I wasn’t hurt and got up to check out my bike. A bent hanger and deralliuer meant my gears wouldnt change properly but they were good enough to get me home.
The next section of the course was so much fun. After a 10km steep climb on rocks (involving some walking today) we hit the top of the mountain for a series of wicked descents through National Park forest and grassy tracks. My top speed was 63km. /h. What a hoot. I was thinking of Simon whose birthday it is today and is a demon descender. Needless to say he got away from me and I didn’t catch him until the end.
The ride to the finish included another 10km climb that just seemed to go on forever. My legs were hurting, my whole body was feeling bruised, but I was smiling as the afternoon sun warmed my skin and made me feel so happy to be alive. The smell of the forest and the crunch of gravel under my wheels – the best bits about mountain biking.
A short lunch break by the Yowrie river and then we rolled 40km (including lots of uphills) to Bermagui. All in all a fantastic day out on the bike.
Jo and scoot2 🙂