Adelaide Smiddy Challenge Day 4 (Nurioopta to Victor Harbour)

Today felt like a real Smiddy day on the road. The distance was respectable at 164 kilometres, the course was Smiddy tough, with another 1400 metre plus climbing day. The starting temperature of ten degrees dropped to under five degrees once the sun started to peek its eyebrow above the horizon. 

The pace was hot all day. 30 km/h average into morning tea. 29 km/h average into lunch and 28 km/h average by the end of the day. And while we did get some tailwinds coming into lunch, the peloton was gifted with a good strong cross wind that was on the right side of the nose for the remaining 50 kilometres into our finish at Victor Harbour.

So with all of this combined, it made for our most challenging day of the tour thus far. I could not have been happier. Days like today bring out the toughness in riders that they don't even know they possess until tested. Our first timers all rose to the occasion and completed the distance. For  Neil Dempster, he was chuffed when it was recognized in the huddle this afternoon that he had just completed his longest ever day in the saddle.

So our usual roll out time of 7 am saw Zane ring the cow bell and send us on or way. The definite highlight for the peloton in the 72 kilometres it took us to get to morning tea at Woodside, was the long stretch on the Amy Gillette bike path. It was just plain fun and although the peloton got split up due to various reasons like the bollards and one puncture, I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed the experience of not having traffic to worry about for half an hour.

Lunch was at the 114 kilometre point at a place called Strathalbyn. The meat and salad wraps were devoured by the group and then the sleepies started to descend on the group. Sleepies come on after a hard ride for over 100 kilometres, followed by gorging on food until stomach says no more. Then just as you get a chance to lay down on the soft grass at the beautiful park the five minute whistle blows.

While the feeling of sleepies coming on and you don’t actually get to sleep sucks, there is a symptom even worse for cyclists called Dead Lunchtime Legs. So no sleepies, then back on the bike, all blood is now working overtime on digesting the food that gives you the sleepies. Which leads to a minimal blood supply available to the legs. This is where Sleepies and Dead Lunchtime Legs combine to make a rider feel at their worst point in time ever!

Thoughts of why am I doing this, the pace is already too high, I want to get in the van, why can’t the front riders start more gradual, how am I going to become a pro rider feeling like this, maybe we shouldn’t stop for lunch and just get lunch on the go like the professionals do? Etc etc. Then ten minutes into the ride your legs come good again and all those negative thoughts are gone. Replaced with shit I feel good! I’m turning pro next week. I hope the rider behind me is looking at my excellent cadence and my awesome calves. I hope they notice any veins in my legs that may be popping out. Etc etc

So the remaining 50 kilometres from lunch to Victor Harbour was a hard fast paced affair. That cross wind I spoke of before caused riders grief sitting on the right side of the two abreast peloton, while riding on the left you had the protection of the other riders and it was much easier. At times the pace was high and I felt for any rider that was struggling but at the same time admired their fortitude to tough those moments out. Cookie deserves more than the $500 he was promised from a very generous Matt “Maddog”Muir, when he rode for 30 kilometres dressed as a drag Queen. Hats off to Cookie who has a sunburnt crack to prove his dedication to the cause. And a big thank you to Julian and Neil for taking one for the team and having to ride behind Cookie for that 30 kilometres and not look at his crack.

The last ten kilometres or so was pretty special, as we were on and off a bike path, which afforded us glimpses and full on views of the spectacular Victor Harbour with the backdrop of the Great Southern Ocean.

Emotions were high at the finish as we celebrated our achievement in the usual sweaty hug way. Captain Kevvy and Luisa were given the honour of taking the huddle, and Victor Harbour residents were woken out of their afternoon slumber, when the huddle concluded with its usual chant of Smiddy Smiddy Smiddy.

With three hours still left to kill of the afternoon before the nightly antics of a Smiddy dinner began, the crew were left to explore the town, drink beer, or relax in their rooms. I’m rooming with Kevvy tonight and as I sat down to write the blog after a nice warm shower, he took a nap that entertained me with him turning over 15 times, talking in his sleep... something about fines I caught. But mostly he just snored or farted very loudly.

I just wanted to say a huge thanks to the road crew for doing what you guys do for us each day. Also to Kik, who was kept busy today with the mechanicals at each stop. I noticed K was doing the rounds and treating a number of riders as well. Kevvy for keeping us safe from behind and Janet and John for the awesome job you guys do in the lead vehicle. Thank you Genevieve and Denice for all the photos and stories that keep popping up on Facebook and the Smiddy site, which are great for all the families and supporters following our journey. Mr Smiddy your enthusiasm is infectious and most appreciated by everyone. To be paid out on by Mr Smiddy means he thinks you are pretty special. The ride leaders are doing an awesome job as per usual and the riders themselves, well if I could, I would take you all home with me at the conclusion of this ride. Wendy, Killer and Pagey, keep doing what you do. Your passion and dedication to the cause does not go unnoticed. The riders love you for it!

Tonight our guest speaker was Wayne Messer, talking about his reasons for riding Smiddy events. Category jerseys went to John and Janet Curran for their services to Smiddy since 2006. Kevvy auctioned off a set of accommodation keys lost by one of the riders, which Brett bid $1000 for and won! Had to be there for this to make sense... And Dom read out tonight’s blog.

And that’s a wrap.

Cheers,

Sharky