Today was the day that it all went wrong. We started off strong and stayed with the front group for the first 14 km of firetrail and then onto the single track section which was about 10km long. We were working hard but the pace was good and then "poof" my tubeless tyre in the front punctured and the sealant did not work. We pulled over and tried to use an air canister to inflate it, but while doing it, the connector broke. We decided to put in a tube and then flagged someone down and they gave us their connector but it turned out that the spare tube had a hole!! We were now out of air canisters and took the tube out and tried Minters tube which we then had to pump up the old fashioned.....but time consuming way. By this stage we had lost about 10 to 15 minutes but that was not the only problem, we now had 9km of single track ahead of us and it was full of the slowest riders on the planet, with nowhere to pass them.
We tried our best to squeeze past here and there, but there must have been 100 people in front of us. At one point Minter tried to take a gap and came off his bike, falling on the same arm as he had yesterday.
Once the track opened up we worked hard to make up time, but still, after placing 18th yesterday we came in 70th today, which moved our overall position from 26th to 29th. :-(
Our bodies are very tired and it is getting harder and harder. I have a blister on my right hand from all the jarring on yesterdays ride and it hurts constantly when on the bike. I am struggling to eat by dinner time as I am so tired that each mouthful makes me want to puke. Despite the fatigue, I am struggling to sleep well and feel like my mind is constantly active and I keep waking up. It is interesting how the mind works, and I have found that as I get more and more tired, I find myself longing for my family and missing Vee ( my wife) and kids more and more.....I want a "family hug".
Minter has been great and I couldn't ask for a better partner....not only coz he pulls me along, but he is just a top class friend and riding buddy. People say that this sort of event tests friendships like no other situation, and at this point my choice of partner has been spot on. That said, having his sweaty riding shorts hanging from the middle of the tent is somewhat less pleasant, and there have been a few instances where I have looked right in the tent to see him lying naked rubbing a soothing anti-septic cream onto his chafed arse. These things I could happily give a miss, and although he can claim to have seen similar behaviour, I think the view for him would be a lot more pleasant (if somewhat intimidating) than it is when I see him.
We are staying at a race village up in the mountains, next to a river and the views are great, as they were on the ride today.
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