Rocky Trail 6 + 6 at Del Rio

Team Enduro Pulse riders made the call some months ago to enter the 6 + 6 category (thats racing on Saturday from 12pm - 6pm and Sunday 6am - 12pm) and it took only moments into the race for Craig Baylis to thank his pre event lazy stars. Feeling the heat early and it was only on the second lap, that’s about 40 minutes in, he had to rest three times up the main climb! Craig knew right then that it was going to be a long day.

"Every lap I resisted the urge to just stop in the pool, or the bar for that matter, and play reporter for the day instead of grinding myself into the ground". Craig kept on heading back out for another lap and the pedals turning even what could be a stupidly slow pace. "It certainly didn’t feel like I was racing anyone, rather I was just trying to outlast the next guy on the climbs".

Throughout the afternoon Team Enduro Pulse watched the mercury steadily rise and top out at an extraordinary 47 degrees on the climb. The heat caught many off guard and the exposed climb away from transition left the sun beating down on rider’s backs.

There were reports of several riders coming down with heat stroke and it wasn’t until seeing firsthand riders being attended too that the consequences of the heat really became apparent. Team Enduro Pulse rider Jamie Bailey was one rider to succumb to the heat after 3 hours of setting the pace in the 6+6 category and building up to a 6 minute lead. Unfortunately for Jamie he was unable to continue riding in the event testament to the extreme conditions.

If riders thought the setting sun would ease the temperature then they had another thing coming. It was the hottest Sydney night on record and the exposed rock shelf shadowing the road on the climb radiated the retained heat back through the dark. The riders just couldn’t get a break!

Craig still maintaining laps throughout the 6+6 race he managed to keep it together and made up a place on Sunday morning with faster lap times seeing him finish in third.

Check out the photos from the Sydney 24 Hour at www.enduropulse.com.au or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/enduropulse

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