Stung!

The Stinger Section 2: Continuing from the first feed stop the road had a steady incline & in the distance I could see the terrain that had housed the infamous stinger section hidden between the hills & valleys. The scenery after cresting the top of Clows Top was beautiful to say the least, its a pity that this would be the last I would really notice as I spent the rest of this middle section with my head down staring at the tarmac. As I entered the Stinger section I wasn't prepared for what was to come as lung busting climb was followed by deathly descent with no time for recovery in between - 20% - 12% - 15% in quick succession.

It was about now, after these opening three climbs of the stinger, I suffered horrendous cramps in both quad muscles & was reduced to a quivering wreck on the road side for more than 5 minutes - in excruciating pain. This was the end of my day, as every-time the road went up, the cramps came back.

To make matters worse I still had 10% - 17% - 17% & 15% climbs to face and in between each climb a very dangerous twisting descents of similar gradient, on very poor road surfaces. End result was that on anything more than 10% I had to get off and walk the climbs. Finally got to the second feed station for very much needed refreshment.

The refreshment didn't really help much as I still had to negotiate 25% - 22% & 17% climbs. The elderly gent pruning his roses on Winniats 25% was a real bundle of laughs as I pushed by bike wearily up hill he chuckled 'You haven't reach the steep bit yet'.