Day 4

Day 4, 103 miles, Wickenberg to Cottonwood 14.2 mph in 7:15. The most significant day of climbing for the tour. Over 9,000 feet today during the 3 climbs. Being in the AZ high country so preferable to the desert of southern CA. I was 6th into the hotel tonight, which was different. I’ve been one of the last to arrive nightly, but today, as a climbing day, hit my strength. Going through Jerome was a bit of a kick ... a tourist town clinging to the hills, reminiscent of a hillside French or Italian town.

A stated goal was to be the last rider to finish the first week, the first to finish the last week. Neither will occur. There are some significantly slower guys in the group. Only a few of them, but the 5 or 6 will probably finish slower than I shall nightly. And the flyers are amazing. There are 4 that just scream every day. Of the 4, one finished a 40k time trial in under an hour, another races with pros (Masters division) in Northern California, and one competed on his bike in the Pan-Am games. A tough bunch, and I’ll not hang with them on the road.