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Stage 2. Jindabyne to
Dead Horse Gap and return.
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Stage 2 saw everyone take it a lot
easier as the “A Team” were going over Dead Horse Gap. Everyone that
is except Whitey. Chris cheated and took it very easy latching on to
the support vehicle as we went up the first rise. Anyway the rest of
us just rode a little easier so that the A team would have a bit in their
legs for the infamous Dead Horse climb which is 22 kilometres down the other
side after the main bunch stops and which is reputed to be the toughest
climb in Australia. |
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Indeed several Europeans who have done it have reported it as
tough as any of the European climbs including the infamous Tour de France
climbs. Incidentally, it’s not the 22 kilometres down that hurts,
although Spongie and Robbie might disagree with this especially when they
both misjudged one of the corners on the descent last year and skidded
across the road and over an embankment. Thankfully nothing like that
happened this year. As I say though it’s not the descent but rather
the 22 relentless kilometres up that hurts. Well it was too much for
Matty Lucas who found himself in the car with Joanne. Dave Jacko had a
go and told me later that he was sitting on 6 kilometres per hour in the 23
cog for what seemed like an eternity. |
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Our A team were also joined by a
couple of good riders from the Canberra Cycle Club and it became a bit of an
interclub challege, I’m told. Anyway congratulations to you mad bastards
who did it including, Jacko, Slapper, Robbie, Spongie, Matty, Paddy and
Scotty Callum (even if you are a RBCC Jedi Knight who has been seduced to
the Darkside). |
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Left, the boys are pictured coming to
the top of the Deadhorse climb. Scotty Callum looks pretty happy about
that. Photo above shows the boys working together at the beginning of
the climb. (Click on Images for full size view) |
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The rest of us had a nice race down the mountain. They
all started dropping off until we were down to Big Bird, The “Magnet”
(Thomas Murdoch for those of you who don’t know that he thinks he is a chick
magnet), Whitey, myself and Patty Naughton. Well Patty put on an exceptional turn up one
of the nasty climbs on the way home and left us four looking at him go. We then
got a paceline happening and attempted to pull Patty back but it was mainly
Whitey and I doing the work as the other two were peaked out in their restricted
gears (That’s the excuse they were giving me for not coming through for a turn
anyway). So Patty stayed away and was first down the mountain. Then the rest
came in in dribs and drabs.
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