Race to the Rock
Despite only being a recent convert to mountain biking, 36-year-old Melbourne woman Sarah Hammond took on the gruelling Race to the Rock — and won.
The Race to the Rock is a 2,300 kilometre solo, unsupported ride from the heart of Adelaide’s CBD to Uluru in Australia’s dusty red centre.
It’s pre-dawn as champion endurance cyclist Jesse Carlsson leads the 25 strong pack out of the Adelaide CBD.
They’re racing to Uluru– over 2000 unforgiving kilometres lie ahead.
"There’s no better way to experience that vastness, that openness, that solitude, than trying to do it under your own steam on a bike," Jesse Carlsson said.
Melbourne fitness instructor Sarah Hammond joined the ride at the last minute for the adventure. She’s the only female in the field.
The rules of this incredible race are straight forward. To win you must ride the full route via the 900 kilometre Mawson Trail, then over 600 kilometres of unsealed corrugated dirt on the Oodnadatta Track.
"I reckon it got below zero last night easy. Easy. I’m going to try and make it up today. Hopefully see how we go. It’s pretty incredible though," Sarah Hammond
It’s more gritty than glamorous with riders sleeping wherever they can — mostly by the side of the road — and getting just a few hours sleep at a time.
"I’m trying to ride up frigging boulders and down rock beds and ran into a kangaroo this morning. That was good," Sarah said in her video diary from the road.
On Day four and almost half way to Uluru, race leader Jesse Carlsson crashed out, leaving Sarah in the lead.
Due to unseasonal rain the Oodnadatta track began to flood and Sarah was advised to steer clear — but she took a gamble.
Yeah their advice to her was definitely don’t head north and what did Sarah do? She headed north," Jesse said.
Her gamble paid off. She beat the rising waters to cross a creek before it was completely flooded.
With emotiona running high after eight days in the saddle, Sarah finally hit the home stretch.
"It was just hard. You can’t ride fast. The sun goes down and you can’t see the sand."
"I’ve managed to hold it in up until the last hour."
After 2317 kilometres, 198 hours, 30 snickers bars and 20 crashes, a worn out Sarah became the sole survivor of the Race to the Rock.
"I was riding in and I’m thinking if they want me to do this whole “yay, hooray, awesome” I wasn’t feeling that. I was feeling exhausted," Sarah said.
It is no Tour de France grand finale, Sarah’s welcoming party is made up of Jesse and there is definitely no trophy.
"There’s no prizes, [just] Glory. It’s nuts. I mean, how much bigger can the races get. It’s incredible. It’s incredible."
