Hi, this is Pat Norwil, calling from the Crocodile Trophy and we're in the lovely party-happening town of Birdsville.

Went through two stages; went from Mungerannie to Clifton Hills yesterday and then camped out in a cattle station at the base of Clifton Hills. Then today we did 185 kilometers to Birdsville. It's a fast pace.

The Fuji Team pretty much just dominates the race. They come out swinging every morning. Typically, it's a 10-kilometer warm-up and then they just put the hammer down. If you're not in the front, and if you're not right where you need to be, you're off the back right away. And then at about 20 kilometers they do it again, and then at about 30 they do it again. It's pretty impressive to see this caliber of racers out there, just working the paceline...and I'm a total hack on the paceline. But I'm definitely learning under fire, and very quickly. By 60 kilometers, I'm usually off the back and scrambling for my now-daily riding partners. There's four of us that kind of group together and pull it in.

You don't see much of Australia in this race because you're basically just looking at the guy right in front of you...what his jersey says, what his tire's doing. And then you're pulling like hell, and then you get a break, and it's just a constant rotation. But the Fuji guys, it's Eric Vanderaerden is still in the lead and Roger Smeets is in 2nd and 3rd place is a Fuji also. Thomas Dam and Wolfgang Fasching have been duking it out for 4th and 5th. But a typical day is just attack, attack, attack. Every day I just think, "Okay, if I can just hang with these guys until 60 or 80 kilometers and then I'll just pick up the pieces and try to coast it on in."

Yesterday, from Mungerannie to Clifton Hills — 10 kilometers in and I flatted. And I was off the back right away. Rode the 120 kilometers by myself and, oh, there was a time when I was only about 500 yards from them. And I could see their jerseys as they were cycling through. It's pretty much impossible to catch up to a pack of 10 riders. So I ended up riding alone, just picking up the stragglers as I got closer.

I've been pretty much hanging in the top 15 every day. I think the best I've done so far has been 11th. That's like superhuman. I can't believe the pace these guys are pushing. We did 185 kilometers in about eight hours today. And tomorrow it's another, I think it's a 205-kilometer day. It's a good race. The organizer ran over a $3000 bike today and the guy ended up riding the loaner bike. It was funny, because Jan was waiting for us at the 80 kilometer mark, and he's like, "I ride the beach cruiser now." And it was pretty comical. He was not very happy. But he took it all in stride and he's in the pub now, drinking beer. And I think I'm going to go join him.

This is Pat, and I'm out! Bye.

— Pat Norwil, MountainZone.com Correspondent