Spa Country Flings - A Top 200

Massive rainfall and flooding across the suburbs of Melbourne started on the Friday night before this ride. The scheduled start time of 8am at the Hepburn Spa Centre on the Saturday morning had me doubting whether this ride would take place. I left home around 5:30 am so I would have plenty of time to get there. A road block for flooding on the road I was taking to get there had me heading up the Midland Highway towards Ballarat instead. A massive downpour along here had me convinced I was going to be heading back home sooner rather than later and that I was a bit soft in the head to be thinking of riding 200k. An SES report on the radio spoke about some properties in Creswick being flooded during the night. Creswick was on the ride route!
I arrived in plenty of time, I was first there. Was anyone else going come? Finally Roy Jenkins arrived, then more including Steve Xerri, Andy Moore and others from the Lancefield crowd. Ride organiser Greg Martin said however he had a large number of cancellations. This was understandable as water levels were rising all around Melbourne and its suburbs.
Although dry when we left on the ride a few K's down the road and heavy rain began.  The first 45 minutes saw pretty much continuous and at times heavy rain. Fortunately it was not cold. Once the rain had passed it would be the last rain we would see although the high humidity ensured that sense of dampness continued.  I pretty much rode with Roy most of the way to the first stop at Creswick. Greg and Peter Martin were there at the rotunda with a feast. I set off solo from the checkpoint on route back to Creswick. Lunch back at Daylesford was equally impressive. The second 100k included a stop at Kyneton then off to Tylden before heading back through Daylesford to the finish and more fantastic food. Hamburgers with salad followed by ice cream ~ brilliant. Thanks to Greg and his band. A Top 200.

At the finish