Sombre is the best way to describe Zone and my emotion this afternoon.
While we had a brilliant Stage 6, our elation at moving up to 55th on GC was dampened after we learnt that a rider, who we have been riding around over the course of the past few days, had suffered very serious injuries, after a high-speed crash roughly 12km from today’s finish.
Fatigue is setting in. Photo credit: Zoon Cronje.
Every afternoon, Zone and I chill at our accommodation chatting about how the day’s stage had unfolded and what spice lay ahead the following day. These conversations are usually vibrant and colourful, covering all aspects of the race – from the severe pain that every Epic stage dishes out, to the relief of lying down for an hour’s massage.
This afternoon however, we were very aware of the thin edge on which we live each day during the Epic. It could have been anyone of us needing medical attention after a split second indiscretion. At this point in the race, we’re all severely fatigued and our judgment can so easily be affected.
Having had breakfast with him this morning, we were acutely reminded of just how quickly things can change … as he now lay in hospital and we on our beds … it almost seemed surreal.
With great speed, comes great responsibility. Photo credit: Retroyspective
Zone and I reminded ourselves that our priority is to arrive home safely and not get overly caught up in the racing. That’s not to say we shouldn’t push our limits, rather that this incident is a stark reminder of the consequences of our actions.
With this in mind, it is with great relief that we have learnt that, while serious, doctors are confident the rider will make a full recovery.
Tomorrow heralds our final day in the pain cave, which is no stroll in the park. Stay safe everyone … as Zone reminded me the other day, best to ride 5% slower to go 10% faster!
