I mostly don't have any pictures with people in them because I was following through on my announced intention of bringing in the laterne rouge. Alas, you have to finish to be the lanterne rouge, so I didn't do ot after all. I was feeling pretty good at the bacon lady stop, and that was possibly the best bacon I've ever had.
I walked the first quarter mile or so down through the moon dust because I'm still healing from my last crash. Once I got down to solid ground I really enjoyed that part of the descent and I was feeling pretty good about my chances for completing the day's ride. But then the road went uphill again and the trees parted enough to give me a preview of the afternoon.
At some point one of the support drivers came by and mentioned that I wasn't likely to make it to lunch before they closed up, but he said he'd make me a plate and I should keep going. About 1000 yards later I saw the same driver talking to [MENTION=46382]bikingshearer[/MENTION]. A gentleman's agreement was made with regard to whose idea we would say it was to sag and we both got it the car. Another 1000 yards down the road we found a rider on his back trying to fight off heat stroke. It turned out to be [MENTION=381793]gugie[/MENTION]. Rich took one for the team and got back on his bike to give up his place in the sag wagon to our fallen comrade. I wasn't so noble.
Given the realities of the road surface, we didn't make it to the lunch stop a whole lot sooner than the riders we saw on the road. For instance, I had been leap frogging with [MENTION=8403]ollo_ollo[/MENTION] most of the day, and he passed our sag vehicle at least once before we got to lunch and he was at lunch before I finished my sandwich.
Finally, facing temps approaching 100 degrees and no shade in the afternoon I called it a day and road to Hot Springs in the backseat of a support vehicle.
Next year for sure!
If you look really close, you can see [MENTION=8403]ollo_ollo[/MENTION] riding away from me in this first picture.
