RdC Stage 6 - all done!

This one's coming from the ferry home to Dublin.

It's been a fairly packed five days and six stages. Today was flat enough, with a couple of minor KOMs, until the killer punch at the finish line. 400m gain, six kilometres of pain. Not hugely steep, but just long and drawn out. Weather was lovely and sunny and warm. I held well with the bunch today, all the way to base of the mountain - which marks a first in the race for mise. Apparently I was nearly in a breakaway at one point, but I wasn't really aware of it. The breakaways which did occur were caught at the bottom of the climb.

As for the climb itself, it inevitably tore us to shreds. Being the wee scrap of a lad that I am, I managed to get up pretty well. Lungs were huffing and puffing, but I kept pushing. One eejit cut across my line drastically, and I watched in horror as his rear quick release hit my front spokes. Thankfully it bounced off harmlessly, but I let a roar out of me anyway.

Onwards and onwards, squirting bottles of water over my head. There was a sportive running concurrently, and I was thankfully dropping those riders. I think only a couple of Cymru guys got past me once I got away from the bunch. Team manager reckons I was thirty-somethingith, which I'd be fairly happy with, but far more pleased if I was in the first thirty. We're still awaiting GC results to be posted online - we had to run for the ferry and miss the prize-giving.

Our nearest rivals ahead in the team GC had us well marked, so we don't know if we managed to jump them, but we're still hoping to have hopped a spot or two.

In terms of the overall experience though, it's been fantastic. Full kudos to the team manager for looking after my every need, and to my team mates for both the tonnes of advice and the helping hand/wheel on the road. I think the one thing I definitely did right today was to stay right on their wheels, not a row or two behind them. Importance of recovery in stage racing is also massive, and something which I seem to have done well, considering how fresh my legs were today.

I have half a list of cycling tips written down, and another half in my head, I'll post them when I have a moment, which will probably when I wake up again on Thursday. And any after-thoughts. Thanks to those who sent encouragement, here or via the face book.