Stage 6 - night race

Stage 6 took place over the same course as the morning time trial just under lights and with a mass start.
Have to pass out a thanks to Dicko for the Lupine lights which did a fantastic job as a helmet mount, I also had my lights on the bars for extra power.
It was an awesome sight lining up alongside 180ish other riders all with lights gleaming. The start was pretty chaotic particularly with the puddle crossing so early on. this time I went straight through the middle and it was unexpectedly deep so I took a soaking. I managed to get off to a pretty good start but on one of the early corners in the singletrack my rear wheel got hooked up on a rock and I lost traction, it throwing me off to the left and I had to unclip. I moved off the track and watched disheartened as about 8 riders passed as I waited for a gap to remount. Once back on my way I ended up catching Jenny Fay just as she broke a chain. From there on it was good riding as things started to thin out, I think that riding at night focuses the mind as you have to look ahead to illuminate the trail, in daylight I don't think I look so far ahead and am far more reactive to things. In the end I managed a time that was just slower than in the morning which I was very happy with. Great riding and finished the day with a few beers, final stage to come....