Road Cycling 2:44:00 [3] 49.0 km (3:21 / km) +702m 3:07 / km
Ride to TDU at McClaren Vale & up Willunga Hill.
Not a gd start to the day - after a not so good sleep I then dozed off after 7am and my alarm clock didn't ring as it wasn't set. So late getting started meaning I would miss my planned group ride. Then got 2 kms down the road and got a serious case of diahorrea - so retured home for a change of knicks, wash and immodium.
So then took the car and parked just off Greenhill rd to catch up some time.
South via back streets incl Winston ave to St Marys where I almost got killed getting thru the road works at South / Ayliffes rd junction. Breathed a sigh of relief when I made the veloway start.
After yesterday I was feeling somewhat tired so soft pedalled up the hill to Majors Rd. There were quite a few riders heading south, so it was nice to be around others. Along the way there would have been at least 1,000 riders heading back into Adelaide. Many groups were riding early this week and watching the TDU action on the big screen in Vic Square / Rapha pop-up / their hotels.
Got to McClaren Vale and met 6 of my friends who had ridden in from Clarendon. Also met Gary - a Melbourne friend who had decided on a whim to fly over with a mate for the weekend. watched the peleton go thru for their 1st lap and then rode over to Willunga and watched them do the main street "hot dog" for the final time. Then had an amusing (and difficult)
ride up Willunga Hill, with thousands of other riders and some walkers. There were many slower than me which made the climb easy.
My friends had started the climb before me, as I had detoured to the loo beforehand ...meant to be at the 500m to go area but I didn't see them / them me so I just rode on up to the finish. Grabbed another drink and watched the action whilst sitting / standing in the shade on the big screen. Got over to fence at finish & got a great photo of Richie Porte. He won the climb but was relegated to 2nd in general classification to Daryl Impey as they were equal on time overall but Impey had finished higher than Porte overall in stage places. Pity.
702 up ...406 down.
Road Cycling 2:22:27 [3] 51.6 km (2:46 / km) +427m 2:39 / km
Rode back down Willunga carefully and headed back homeward on the veloway. Had the option to catch the train from Seaford / Pt Noarlunga in the back of my mind: a) as feeling not so gd on way out b) I dislike the veloway's uphillness on way back & c) my electronic gearing warning light was on, meaning it needed charging soon.
Anyway there were bunches of others heading back so I initially decided on Pt Noarlunga but then continued on...regretted it almost immediately as the big climbs came on. Also I ran out of water - should be some water stations along the way. Many others were suffering also and lots stopped off at Hungry jacks at Darlington but I continued on.
A good day out! My legs have certainly benefited from this solid week of training.