Thursday, June 27, 2013

2013 Tour de Singkarak - pre race

After coming out of the AnPost Ras in much better shape than I went into it, I had one day to packup and fly to Padang in Indonesia for the UCI 2.2 Tour de Singkarak. Similar to the Ras, it is a stage race ran over eight days (although only seven stages, we have one rest day) - different from the Ras though, it was going to be hot, very very hot!

Recovery ride on arrival in Padang

Outside the city of Padang
Travels went well (four seats free for me to lie on in an Airbus A380) and I arrived in Indonesia feeling good considering the last ten days. I had one extra day to acclimatise before the rest of the team arrived from Surabaya (a few hour flight to Padang) and get used to the dramatic change in climate.


View from the hotel in Bukittinggi
With the team all together, we travelled up to Bukittinggi where the first stage would start. More easy spins and we really got to marvel at this stunning country.

Stopping for a pee :)


Our hotel for the first few nights
The heat was initially a shock to the system, but I hoped it would remember my months in Indonesia already spent before the racing would start.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

2013 AnPost Ras Stages 6, 7 and 8

Crazy travel post race means that this was really delayed - at this point, posting more for posterity than anything else!

Stage 6


Stage 7


Stage 8

Well, I don't have a video - as I mention in the video for Stage 7, I felt pretty good - I didn't get away so minded myself really well to the finishing circuits - final climb, three minutes of hurt - coming into the tricky corner into the climb 10-12th wheel and the guy in front of me crashes - DOHHH - these things happen, but I was a bit pissed about it. Anyway - chased and chased (with a few others who where caught out and almost got across to the front 20. 20th on GC in the end, but no real ride/result to note.

The Ras this year for me never really got going, I went into it sick and thought I would have to pull out each day for the first three days - I really was just hanging on and feeling crap - I finished okay though and the racing should help bring on my form for the rest of the season.