Today was one of those rides which was just great to finish. It was cold, windy, raining and I think it even hailed at one point. The first and major climb is designated as a Category 2 on Strava gaining 350 vertical meters over 7.3kilometers. I gave it a solid attempt averaging 19km/h but was no where near Will Walker's attempt. But, I will be back with some more training to give it another crack later in the year. Resting at the top of the first climb waiting for the bunch to regroup, I realised I was soaked through and shivering. After a quick snack and drink, it was time to get back on the bike.
The weather didn't let up at all with the rain streaming down making for a very cautious descent on my behalf. A little further on I was thinking that we had made the wrong decision continuing with the full ride and from what I hear, quite a few of 120km riders opted out and took shortcut home. The next 40km's were uneventful with a strong wind appearing as the rain disappeared but the road remained wet. The sun finally poked its head out making the final few category 4 climbs a little more pleasant and by the time I finally started the descent into Whittlesea, I was relieved and finally starting to dry out.
Crossing the line on the four hour mark, I personally gained myself 30min over my previous and first attempt last year. From there, it was into a set of dry clothes and off to the pub for a parma and a beer. Overall, the King Lake ride was a success with the weather throwing in additional challenges making it a tough day in the saddle and I was glad to get the job done. Now to clean all the muck off the bike..........
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