Well drop like flies we did. I think several like me were still suffering from the day before when we assembled for breakfast. Tour leader Mike really laid it on the line (to paraphrase) "today is all about being sensible, we're going through some very tough terrain in excessive temperatures. It's a freeway running through a desert, so if you get in trouble it could take us some time to come and get you. There'll be some points where you can stop, but outside of those things could get rough. We want to avoid a serious situation turning into an emergency situation, because if you have to go to hospital we won't be able to support those still out there. It's not a case of seeing if you can make it" Suitably chasened, we headed off, on quiet flat, smooth roads. It was 7 in the morning, but already in the 70's.
Rode very well for the first 50 miles. Some nice firemen gave us some water. We were working a sensible paceline with everyone taking their turn at the front. The first SAG was excellent, food, water, ice cube neck wraps, we were perfectly prepared when we left it. Then we started heading up hill through a canyon and the temperature shot up. Immediately several of the group were in trouble. I managed to ride to the top, it was beautiful scenery and I was feeling fine. It was an amazing 'box' canyon. Several times the road seemed to end in a wall of rock, but you'd go round a corner and it would continue on up. Out the top of the canyon the road continued to rise and so did the temperature, I was suffering. Turned on to the freeway to ride the 4 miles to the lunch stop. Then the headwinds started. That was the final straw, I was pushing hard, but would have had to keep at that level to ride the last 65 miles in under 5 hours. Got to the halfway distant and lunch and then called it a day.
The top temperature today was 104 in the shade, not that there was any shade.
Spent the afternoon packed in the van with all the others who had dropped out, staying close to the few riders still out there. In the end only 3 made it in. Well done to the support of Mike, Barbara and Karen. They couldn't have done more to help us on our way and avoided any emergency situations, which was the main goal of today - we all get to ride again.
Got in late, so precious little time to prepare for tomorrow - let's hope for better things.
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