Prologue22 ... Go!
The 2022 Cloudride Prologue hits the dirt at 7:00am tomorrow morning. After challenging months of route planning ... no fires this time, just weeks of endless rain, flooding rivers bogged road closures and finally a rideable route that should prove super quick for those on a 24h+ no sleep strategy... we will see?
Re-supply will be a major challenge for fast riders. The first opportunity at Nimmitabel 179k from a 7:00am start with the Tinderry Range 10k and 575Vm climb, flooded Queanbeyan River @ 63k and some bogged road sections down on the Tuross Road around the 135k mark to negotiate. Ten hours riding with 3,000Vm to make the 5:00pm Nimitabel Bakery closing to re-supply will be a tidy challenge.
The fall back will be the Federal Pub [above] where Publican Kel has generously put the kitchen last orders back till 10:00pm ... this is not your typical fast food option but a good wholesome pub feed some carb loading via a few beers, chew the fat and off into the night .... or some floor space for courtyard bivvy.
OK so its 5:10pm, missed the Bakery, pass on the pub, press on and head for Berridale, another 53k to catch the Servo by the 8:00pm close for a pie or sausage roll [choice of one of each ... yep 1 pie and 1 sausage roll left when I called in at 5.00pm last Saturday] and things get interesting. Adaminaby another 63k and 950Vm arrival at midnight, 1:00am, 2:00am?
Snooze till the bakery [left] opens at 5:00am and join in with the push and shove amongst the the Snowy2.0 workers getting their calorie packs for a days work.
For the majority of mid-packers these challenges will matter not a jot in fact the pub feed at Nimmitabel, breakfast at Berridale .. Lunch/hearty re-supply at Adaminaby and off to Canberra should work just fine.
Three crossings of the Murrumbidgee, one of the Goodragibee ......
Two, three days will be a very tidy ride. Weather forecast looks Goldilocks .. beer hours at Bent Spoke in Braddon is the reward.
Good luck and safe riding to everyone!
Race Tracker HERE