Today was always going to be one of the toughest days of this week as though the distance wasn’t overly far, there was a lot of climbing, and it was pretty much all on gravel!
Rider notes for stage 5
Things began pretty well – the first couple of climbs were relatively good going and I was feeling great at the top of the last of them, with fantastic views all around us. But from there things went downhill, both literally and metaphorically!
The descent was rough, really rough, and then the relative flat from the bottom of the steep descent to the town of Kazarman, which shouldn’t have been so bad, was downright horrid and even the section of pavement was mostly ripped up and almost as unpleasant to ride as the gravel. By the time I got to lunch I had well-and-truly had enough!
I took longer than usual at lunch making the most of sitting still in the relative cool of the lunch shelter before getting back on the road for the last 40km to camp – a distance which shouldn’t have taken more than a couple of hours.
As the morning turned to afternoon, the day got hotter (36ºC was the hottest I saw), the hills got steeper, and the gravel never got any better – I wasn’t having a very happy time at all.
And despite the fact that this was stage 52, and I’d finished all 51 previous stages, I began to seriously doubt I was going to get through this day with both body and sanity still intact. At one point I was making slow progress up a particularly steep hill with a small cloud of midges flying round my face and if any of the support vehicles had arrived at that point I’d have gladly given in and climbed in!
But I’m stubborn! and no van came, so I just kept on riding and eventually I got there to find Ivan, Grant and Niek already in camp but looking about as second-hand as I was feeling! We all agreed that today had been a right b*stard…!
In summary, it seems that
self belief + stubbornness > self doubt
This was my slowest riding day of the trip so far and I’m hopeful that it will remain that way!
In all only half of us managed the ride, with others being collected by vehicles at various points along the way – some had only made it as far as the bottom of the main descent before deciding that they simply weren’t going to make it – or simply didn’t want to make it…!
Thankfully the river was there for a wash which helped to ease the pains of the day – it’s nice to actually get the sweat and grime off properly, rather than just smearing it round some with baby wipes!
Here’s hoping that tomorrow’s somewhat more enjoyable…!
Riding data
No wonder this day seemed to hard 😉 Clearly something has gone ever so slightly askew with the importing of this rider data as while it did seem endless I didn’t go that far, or that fast!
View from my tent
Actually a view of my tent beside the river, mine’s the silver one at back left
Yep – you are stubborn, and did it pay off! Another job well done!
🙂
Sounds a tough old day, well done for not giving in
If u had got I a passing support vehicle you would have only immediately regretted it…
Chin up, you can almost smell the gin and tonic…
You’re quite right that I’d have been pissed off with myself for getting in the vehicle…!
Thankfully the following couple of days were fantastic 🙂