The hills are behind him...............

Mickey and the crew have endured a torturous couple of days rising to the challenge presented by the steep climbs and altitude of Colorado. Nothing could have prepared them for difficulty of this stage, which at it's peak was at an altitude similar to that of Cusco in Peru!

The only way to acclimatize is to ascend slowly; in parts Mickey and the crew had no choice but to do just that as almost every mile he had to stop to be warmed up as the sweat began to freeze on his body and he was at real risk of getting too cold. He did suffer the disorientation associated with altitude sickness and at times thought he was cycling downhill when in fact he was cycling uphill. To a novice this sounds great, as surely downhill is easier than uphill, but to the seasoned cyclist (and I guess he can refer to himself as that now) it creates confusion and can present a real danger, especially as Mickey would look back for the support vehicle to orientate himself. A few wise words from his Coach, Tim, sorted him out and kept him focusing on the road ahead, whilst his attentive crew kept a very close eye on him. He was very low in mood but remained strong in mind; he had the sense to listen to the advice of his crew and it served him well. Good on you MicRooCrew!

He needed some time out and took a short break to walk out into a field to take in some air and gain some perspective. From nowhere appeared a herd of deer who were not  at all startled by his presence,  but strangely inquisitive. For Mickey it was quite a surreal moment (or a Man versus Wild moment for fans of Bear Grylls) and gave him some inspiration....he was flying again in no time! 

Mickey left Colorado mid morning (Australia) and was pleased to cross the border to Kansas where the terrain is much friendlier!! He has renewed energy and has upped the pace hoping make up some ground and reports are he has his mind set on catching the Irishman! 

The crew are now working like clockwork; when he is woken after three hours sleep he has an hour to eat breakfast, shower, have accupuncture, physio, and the daily team brief before setting off. He has a 10 minute power-nap every 70 miles to re-energise and this seems to be working well.

Although it is tough going for the crew and sleep deprivation has become the norm there is no shortage of laughter. Roger has found his voice and starts every morning with the rendition of "Me & Bobby Mc Gee" to the point it has now become the tour song and the MicRooCrew are all well versed in singing a bar or two!! Dave has been getting close to nature choosing to bare all on the highway to make sure that Mickey didn't miss the turn off!!  What next?!!!