Andrew Randell is racing in the Tour of Utah with SpiderTech p/b C10. He talks about the hellish heat during Saturday’s Stage 4:
Today’s stage was a circuit race in Salt Lake City. The race consisted of 11 laps, the main feature of which was a 500m climb that kicked up to the state capitol building that overlooks the city. From there, the course dragged on in a false flat for another couple of kilometres before a descent that dropped us back to the base of the climb. Tough.
The team rode a great race, putting four of our riders into the attack of the day. What was crazy though was the heat in which we were racing. Usually the feed zone doesn’t open until 50km into the race, but already on the third lap I was grabbing bottles to try and cool down. The bottles I had started with – fresh out of the ice filled cooler – were already so hot they were uncomfortable to drink. And I needed something cool to douse myself with to keep from overheating. Every lap in the race I took an ice sock to stuff in my jersey. At one point I could feel the big lump in the back of my neck: three ice socks, the first of which was the freshest and biggest, then two more than dwindled in size relative to how long they had been keeping me cool. And most laps I also took a fresh bottle, either water to keep cool with or some electrolyte mix to keep hydrated. Our soigneurs, Al and Jon, did an awesome job of handing up the refreshments (they probably needed them as much as us as they were standing in the blazing sun in the feed zone as there was no shade there to be found).
Finishing the race we all rolled back to the team cars and washed off with towels drenched in ice water. Aaaah! Then I wrapped the towel around my neck to keep the cooling effect going a little longer for the short ride back to the hotel. Rolling back down the hill was when the heat really hit me full-blast. It was like being in an oven, and that’s what we had been racing in. Insane.
Time for bed, to rest up for the big day tomorrow that finishes on the top of Snowbird. Keep an eye on how Pat and Lucas do, they are both riding well and are looking to crack the top of the GC.
— Andrew Randell
