22 Aug 2008

Friday Day 6

Friday afternoon update.

After what as another rainy night, everyone awoke to a clear blue sky and the horizon could be seen for once. Again all RAF riders were fit and ready to go after a reasonable nights sleep and a fairly decent breakfast of bacon, beans and porridge (not all at once)!
Post race brief, all riders headed off on a small 5km ride to the start of another special stage, this time at Nant yr Arian. A small rain shower accompanied the riders as they set off at timed intervals, but the sky soon cleared again. All riders zoomed along the 15km course enjoying the wonderous man made trail. Dan completed his run in his usual form but it was Sam who went all out and overtook Gav on this stage. Despite puffing like a steam train Sam finished some time ahead of Gav and is highly pleased with his performance. However, Gav is said to have been suffering from a slight chest cold since before the entire event started. Sam was still beaming from this as he slurped on a well earned Cappucino in the trail centre cafe. Rob suffered from a puncture but a quick tube change is thought not to have delayed him too long. Both the Army and Navy completed the special staage in respectable times (no times published as yet, 1500hrs). The support crew broke camp and moved in to the next camp site at Strata Florida (a paddock in the middle of nowhere which can barely fit all the vehicles and tents in).

The weather now is blowy but mild and we are expecting the first riders in very soon. No dramas have been reported so far.

Even Murphy had to be protected from the bright thing in the sky