I am amazed by this event. It might be the best organised event I have ever done. From registration on Friday right through to the finish, it is virtually seamless. Friday registration could be improved from an entertainment point of view. It was quite minimalist with only a few stands. Parking and fetching our packs was painless and our bikes were safely in their boxes. On Saturday morning we kicked off just before 6am. It was still a little bit dark and the air was cool. The first 60km is just gorgeous. The scenery is amazing and the vistas seem endless. The vibe is a wonderful combination of focused intensity and enjoyment with people going out of their way to greet each other and make space in their group. There was some interesting group riding but nothing serious enough to spoil the day. The food stations are well organised and the volunteers were amazing. A massive thank you has to go out to them! They went out of their way to assist and you left their stands wondering how someone can have such a positive attitude standing out in the sun. The descents are winding and fast, they seem to end too soon, and the climbs are long and testing. The flat section after the half term way mark is fast and the head wind quickly exposed the teams that had not ridden together enough. You earn the finish and the medal. All 12 finished but sadly not together. We finished in just over 7 hours. I saw Yusran and Patch.
