Man ride 2018

Day Three & Four

By Black Sheep Cycling

October 7^th, 2018

HUMP DAYS.

Day Three and Four are the proverbial hump days of the Man Ride. Get through it and you can see light at the end of a dark tunnel. But persevering is often the hardest part and that’s why the metaphor between cycling and men’s mental illness is so pronounced.

Thankfully, all our teams have the finish line in sight. But the last two days have not been without their trials and tribulations for our brave Soloists. Australian support rider Faz Zamani came down with a stinking cold and was left battling her own demons at not being able to support Mick Brown on the road. The truth is, she's done an incredible job – both on and off the bike. As has Mick who feels like he's in the "thick of a transformative journey. My core beliefs and habitual nature are being challenged on a daily basis. It’s frightfully uncomfortable as I continually question every decision and in doing so, expose a vulnerability that sends a wake of hopelessness through my body. And I ask myself continually 'why do I even do this?'." Being greeted by the embracing arms of his Mum on arrival in Marysville is one such reason. "Mum's Love. There's nothing like it, he said

Team America, Colombia and the UK were all blighted by bad weather throughout Days Three & Four. Andy Stockman, in Colorado, the worst affected – he had to ride through near-freezing conditions and snow on Day Three. It was so cold, even soigneur and photographer Natalie Starr was shivering from within the relative comfort of the car.

Those icy conditions also greeted Liam Yates and sidekick Jake Armstrong on Day Four. After 750-odd kms a lean-looking Liam had to stop off at a charity shop to get an emergency overcoat and was regretting the decision to pawn the ELEMENTS jacket we sent him for beer money! It was a stark contrast from the previous day when Team UK managed time in a skate park, a sightseeing stop at Land’s End (the UK’s most westerly point) and a sneaky train journey to scrub off some of the extra Ks they had planned.

The steely resolve of Ben Hitchins and ex-pro and support rider Carlos Orozco was also tested to limited in the last two days. Torrential rain and riding are not happy bed-fellows at the best of times, but especially when you've amassed the Ks and climbing they have.

"We rode La Linea. A famous climb. The approach was scary – you just see this enormous black rock dominating the horizon shrouded by thick angry clouds," recalls Ben. "Twenty-two kms are brutal. So steep without any rest. Full of trucks. We went up to 3500m. It was freezing. Pouring rain. Many parts you couldn’t see more than 10 metres in front of you. I got into a rhythm and wasn’t going to stop for anything.

"Carlos cracked. He’d felt bad from the morning. Said he was cold which I found odd. Very quiet all day. He struggled when we went to Cocora and then threw in the towel on La Linea. He got to the top – after a long stop halfway up – but then got in the car for the descent and final 60 kilometres home. Sensible because he was feeling bad, the descent is dangerous with the traffic, and it was getting dark."

By contrast, our European Soloists look like they're having a holiday. And one we'd all like to be on. How good are the Pyrenees? How good can life be if you embrace it and surround yourself with good people and a bike …

america – day three.

Meeker – Steamboat 218km / 300m

america day four.

Steamboat – Hot Sulphur Springs 218km / 300m

"Six hours in the soaking wet. Three wardrobe changes and a bookshop in Craig Colorado that made Natalie's day." –

Andy Stockman.

europe day three.

St-Lary Soulan – Foix 193km / 3434km

"I'm surprised my legs can even move. 'Where's our driver?'" –

Jojo Harper 20mins into Day Four.

europe day four.

Foix – Saint-Cyprien 206km / 2370m

australia day three.

Albury – Mansfield 211km / 2018m

Mansfield – Marysville 166km / 2432m

"It feels like I'm in the thick of a transformative journey." –

Mick Brown.

THE MAN RIDE IS AN INITIATIVE BY BLACK SHEEP CYCLING TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR MEN’S MENTAL ILLNESS. A ANNUAL EVENT NOT ABOUT RAISING MONEY BUT ABOUT CREATING A CONVERSATION TO BREAKDOWN STIGMA AND INSPIRE CHANGE.