Hi, this is Pat Norwil with the Crocodile Trophy, and we completed the 13th stage today. Or was it 14? I don't even know anymore. I'm tired to the bone. Yeah, we did the 13th stage today — 140 kilometers, about 60 kilometers of corrugation, they call it. Corrugation and sand is basically a washboard and sand. It was incredible driving. I thought I knew what washboards were but this redefined it for me. And it also humbled the shit out of me, like a lot of others. It really just abused us. This is the second heavy stage we've done. The Karma Waters to Laura was incredibly tough yesterday. Lots of climbing, super technical descents, and just hot. It has gotten really, really hot here. The humidity's coming up, we're in the rainforest and we're overlooking the town of Cooktown and the ocean. Pretty spectacular view.

We ended with this one kilometer, 10 percent grade climb to this overlook. And I was climbing up there, going, "You know, this is one sick way to end a race, or a stage." And I got up to the top and went, "Whoa! This is pretty awesome!" The view was spectacular, lighthouse on the top of this bluff, looking out over this wonderful-looking harbor with sandy beaches and big yachts anchored in the bay. It was pretty cool. But it was a hard day for me, I'm tired. This race is just taking everything out of me, I have no drive left in me. Every day I get on the bike, and I can't even keep the pace on an easy spin right now. I'm just falling behind, I lost one place today, I'm down to 12th and 13th is breathing down my neck.

But it was also an exciting day, because the Fuji guys didn't win. To most of our surprises they had a bad day. All of them, they were pretty much hammered. A death-jockey from Denmark, Adam Erritzoe came off the couch and dropped the hammer and made the first breakaway with Roger and Ron from the Fuji team and then proceeded to just drop them. Ron fell way back and Roger, who's been wearing the leader's jersey ever since this race started, well, actually ever since Eric Vanderaerden dropped out, he just didn't have it today. The main pack caught up to Roger parked on an ice cooler on the second check point, drinking water and looking pretty out of it. I guess he's got a fever right now. But the guy's got such a big lead, shit, he could basically sit out a stage and still win this race. I think he's seven hours on me and I think he's maybe four hours on the next guy.

We've got to do 130 kilometer stage tomorrow, which is another heavy-duty one; lots of steep climbing and then we follow a ridge, winding our way down in to Cowboy Town. We stay right on the coast and supposedly there's going to be great views of Port Douglas and of the ocean, of beaches. I'm lusting for sandy beaches and boxes of cold beer.

But, yeah, Adam rocked, and his girlfriend flew in today and rented a car. She was behind him for the last 400 meters of the stage. So we're all really happy with Adam.

Another big surprise was the German Tino Zieger, I've been jockeying back and forth with Tino for this whole race, and he pulled out all the stops today and pulled in 2nd place. And our beer motor man from the Czech Republic, Jan, was 3rd. He feels like he got some retribution today because the Fuji guys had been lying to him every day about what their strategy is. And he's an ex-roadie and believes in the honor system. So they tell him one thing and he's been pretty upset about it. So he got his retribution, and I talked to him tonight and he said, "I feel stronger because of this." So there's quite a few happy campers. A lot of really hammered people though.

The doctor is definitely checking out some serious butt damage, going through quite a bit of ointment, but it's drawing to an end. We have one more heavy stage tomorrow, 130 kilometers, Cowboy Town to Port Douglas. Then the final stage, which is 180 kilometers, which is pretty much going to be just a tour. We'll all stay together for that stage. Tomorrow basically decides the placing of the race. Man, I tell you, I'm having a lot of trouble getting motivated for tomorrow.

I am hammered, this race is really taking it out of me. I completely underestimated this race and it is really hard. This is no joke here. A lot of people are relieved that it's almost over. For a lot of people, it is over. You know, they're just holding on to finish. The reality is that I'm pretty much doing the same thing. Unfortunately, my ego is pretty tweaked. Losing a place today, and just terrible day at driving. I was no energy, just flat legs. Waiting for it to get over was all I cared about.

So now I have to go overhaul a bottom bracket and get my bike ready to go for tomorrow.

That's all for now.

— Pat Norwil, MountainZone.com Correspondent