Day 15 great bend to Abilene

Up at 5:55 for breakfast at 6. They opened the buffet 1/2 early for us. This as the best breakfast yet. Pancakes with strawberry sauce as well as the usual selection of cooked stuff, cereal yogurt etc. We loaded at 7 and left into a Head to cross wind that was expected to increase during the day. We battled to the first SAG.

10 min after we arrived a big bunch cam in apparently they had a paceline going and there had been a small crash. That's why we keep away from those big bunches. Off to lunch and the wind an temp increased. Making lunch we were 6 miles short of a turn that hopefully turned us downwind. 70 miles of head wind was fun fun fun.

Finally some respite we made the turn. It was rolling country and slightly downhill. 25-35 mph. Unfortunately we knew that the last 11 miles was back into the wind which was quite strong now so we held a little back. The temp had soared to 37C. Mike was planning a 12 marker on this leg albeit not 1/2 way in distance or time. However, we came across a sign that said road closed in 5 miles. That did not apply to us. Luckily Mike had just passed us in the van. 5 miles up the road there is no road they had removed the entire bridge. Luckily there was a small walking platform/plank across it and a steep climb up loose earth the other side.

Mountain climbing. Where was that in the brochure?

 USA 4 lane freeway!

 Can you swim Jason?

Will it hold 2?

So off we go again. The SAG van has to detour around to the next stop. We got there and had a break- no wagon. We just haded off for the last 30 miles. Luckily for us when we hit the cross wind section a large train was backing on the track parallel to the road and breaking a lot of the wind. It stayed there for most of this section.

Distance 128 miles took 7:05.

An extra large dairy queen mlkshake was yummy at the end.