Apologies to Mark Lindsay (former Paul Revere and the Raiders for you rock oldies fans) for borrowing his lyrics.
Today was very long and hard- in terms of mileage the longest leg of the Tour. In the morning we quickly crossed the Colorado River (which didn't look impressive at this juncture but amazing sustains life for tens of millions of people in the Southwest). All riders sprinkled Manhattan Beach sand at the state line (and will do so at all other state lines) in order to appease the cycling Gods for favorable winds and other conditions (it didn't work today). Each rider was presented at orientation with a small bottle of sand to carry with us to Boston.
Our route continued on I-10 east for a ways which included some climbs. The vegetation did change from practically nothing to some cactus as we elevated. After getting off I-10 and proceeding on the rode towards our end destination of Wickenburg , we picked up some significant headwinds and I picked up my third flat tire of the Tour. At around 40 miles of riding it was a bit of a gut check as to whether I could complete every mile or would need to get "a bump" in the SAG wagon. However we did benefit from moderate temperatures for the desert which was the decisive factor in allowing me to stay sufficiently hydrated and finish. We finished the ride around 5:30 pm, exhausted all.
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First State crossing, Arizona
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