Day 3

DALGETTY LOOP.

The Dalgetty loop would not usually be a particularly hard ride except for the fact that one has already softened their legs with the three major climbs on Day one and Day two involving Charlotte's Pass and Dead Horse Gap. The ride is very undulating with some quite nasty pinches on the way that hit the legs pretty hard. Knowing this, Bob Bykerk (left) and Ritchie Jenkins (photos below Bob), sneakily took off early.

The ride sets out from Jindabyne and after a lot of undulating climbs and descents, we come to the infamous Dalgetty hill where speeds of just under 100kph have been set. No huge speeds recorded this year as a resident down hill demon, the Slapper, had a little whinge (as Poms often do) and set out on his own little ride elsewhere. So I am unable to tell you who won Stage 5 - The Dalgetty Descent.

Day 3 involves three stages. Stage 5 Jindabyne to Dalgetty involving the Dalgetty Descent and the prima event of the tour, the Dalgetty sprint. Stage 6 - Dalgetty to Beridale, including the famous Beridale sprint and Stage 7 Berridale to Jindabyne. There are quite a few nasties to trap you like the cattle grids and the "Pick a plank" bridges. The Dalgetty "pick a plank" is particularly nasty as just as you think you are going great and riding right down the centre of a plank, it ends and another one starts offset so you are running straight towards the crack. Richard Westmoreland, a new member on his first Jindy training camp, almost came to grief on the bridge when he did just that: Dropped his front wheel in between two planks. I have no idea how he managed to stay on. In fact Richard was indeed blessed on this stage when later that day, he speared off a particularly nasty sharp road shoulder and into the adjoining dirt whilst trying to adjust a loose biddon cage.

As always my "Domestique" was looking after me on this stage as we moved closer to the prima event of the Tour, The Dalgetty Sprint. Yes Matty Lucas, like last year nursed me up the hills (pushed me up a couple). We were a little disappointed when an over exited bunch hit out early in the ride and left the main bunch. Those energetic individuals (pictured left) included Higgo, Pete "The Machine" McDonald, Robbie Cater, Darth Callum, and Brendan Ingram couldn't help himself either. All too chicken to take me on in the prima event of the Tour. Well at the appointed time, Matty Lucas dropped the hammer with me sucking his wheel with as much expertise as the Masters, "Tony Carauna and Lord Concey". As I sensed the finish line looming I came off Matty's wheel and spun that tiny gear (53/12) like a blur (had to leave my beloved 11 home to take a 25 to climb in). Thought I had it shot to pieces when all of a sudden Jacko (who no one had seen do a turn for the last 5 kms) loomed up alongside me and we went head to head around the left hand corner and half way down to the bridge. Just like Whitey had done the year before (well outside the field of play). I wish they would learn that the finish line is about 100 metres back. So anyway, not to upset Jacko we called it a tie.

Well we all met up at the Dalgetty Pub just the other side of the Pick a Plank bridge and soon after took off for stage 6. There was another break on this stage but they all waited for us (well rested) just before the Beridale sprint. Then it was on !! Unfortunately Dave put down his still camera and filmed this section with the movie camera. Pete McDonald had a real good go but in the end it was Robbie Cater who held his arms up in victory. After a brief stop at Beridale for some Gatorades and snakes and a general "carbo" load, we set out on the final leg to Jindabyne. About 2 kms into the ride, Shaun "Higgo" Higgerson, launced off the front and just kept going (I think he had a coke at Beridale). We never saw him again. He just put the Higgo machine in top gear and hit out for about 20kms, eventually putting 6 mins into the bunch. Anyone who has seen the Higgo machine in top gear knows that there are very few people in this country who are going to pull him back, so we didn't even try.

Well at the end of three days riding some of the boys wanted to wash their bikes and do a little servicing. That's when the Buckton service centre came into action. Yes I took my yellow bucket down, complete with a big bottle of Joanne's dishwashing liquid and also the out of space monster pictured left. There she is, inspired by Paddy Jone's beast last year, I built myself one complete with Moser forks. Still don't know what it is? Click on the picture for a larger and different view.

And finally to end off this day, Jacko took Dianne Rice, a mad keen fisherwoman, trout fishing. Dianne's husband Scott also went. They asked me and I politely declined. I later heard that Scotty sat on the bank under the shade of some beautiful willow trees and proceeded to devour a six pack. If I'd have know that, I would have gone fishing as well. Anyway Jacko went to some secret backwater creek he knows and caught this magnificent brown trout that we later threw on the barbie. Later that evening Matty, Spongie, Joanne and I went to the Jindabyne theatre and saw the movie SWAT, with Spongie doing his constant rendition of: "Da da dah, Da Da Dah, Da da dah, Da da dah, da da dum !"

Thanks to Dave Patton for many of the photos in this story. All above open to full size view except for the trout and the pick a plank bridge.