TOS Stage 6

Stage 6 was 167km from Invercargill  to Gore, around the country side and back to Gore. From the start the going was tough, gale force winds split us early but after 50km we all were back together after lots of help from the vans and solid lapping. 

James Jubb

Me and the team were having a bit of trouble feeding today as the van was along way back but we ended up getting feed from the neutral support van but with 30km togo the hammer went down and I couldn't hold on so I rode for 20km with Tom Ashley and fellow mountain biker Nick Miller, but I was sponge bob out of water with no vans around to give me bottle my body shut down and I could no longer work with them or hold wheels I drifted off and the last 5km I hardly pedaled luck it was a gale fore tail wind and not head wind. I was 69th on the stage still lots of people behind on such a hard day. Thanks to James Canny and his Creation signs- L&M Group for giving me water and food after the race and also the Ascot park hotel - Kia motors team for the lollies, I was waiting for the team van to come but turns out it had blown up and I had no  van and no gear. Thanks heaps.

My GC slipped 5 spots back to 63rd, but i'm not fused anymore this is by far the hardest thing I have ever done, every day you wake up with very sore legs but have to get on with it. Its only going to make me stronger, it feels like it already is because I have found some new pain barriers.

800km done and only 100 more tomorrow we have a 13km Time Trail in the morning followed by a 87km afternoon stage. The weather for tomorrow is for cold and more gale force winds but I say bring it, I want to see what the snow tastes like...  

Stage 6 was 167km from Invercargill  to Gore, around the country side and back to Gore. From the start the going was tough, gale force winds split us early but after 50km we all were back together after lots of help from the vans and solid lapping.