DAY 16 West Wyalong to Forbes

133km - leave 7am.

A gruelling day in 32 degree heat with an unscheduled stop where the brain's trust had to work out which way to Forbes.
The long stage started with a warning from ride organiser Barry Walton that some of the dirt road on the trek was "washed out" from recent rains.
There is about 40km of dirt but it wasn't soft or rain afected.
"It was pretty good, only a couple of soft patches," said Mal Nash at the lunch break.
The first main break of the day, for breakfast, is at the entrance to teh property, Baaloo Park. It's owned by the Staniforth's, who are the parents of Australian Wallaby and Western Force winger, Scott Staniforth.
Maurice Doughan, one of our seven support crew, has taken a detour over night to visit his sister who lives nearby.
Turns out his sister and the Staniforths are good friends.
Later in the day Maurie asks a local farmer for some directions only to find he played cricket with his son.
The farmer Peter Hammond, 92, also remembers one of Maurie's great mates, Allan Donnelly, a police detective who helped Peter and the local abbattoir find meat thieves many years previous.
Maurie and Allan Donnelly are great mates from their days in the police force with Allan now retired in Tamworth and one of the leading lights in the local Tamworth Harness Racing Club.
Back to breakfast though and Mal Nash and Kurri's infamous son, Morton Porker, are talking about the ride.
"Today is a preserve, reserve and conserve day," Morton tells Nashie.
"Yeah but I will go silly somewhere," Mal said.
"Do it late," Morton says.
At lunch Morton also reminds us of some of his riding credos.
"Make a friend of pain and you will have a friend for life," he reminds us.
His best though is: "It's a battle between the mind and the body and the body never gives up."
The final leg into Forbes is along the Newell Highway.
Jack Gillard excels with two or three flats.
One more flat, the boys reckon, and he'll be a block of units. He estimates he's had 22 so far.
After changing one tube he and Inverell's Nick McLoughlin time trial to catch up to the main peloton and clock between 30 and 40kmph before Jack has another flat.
This time he grabs one of Alan Moyle's slick spares.
They catch the waiting main bunch about 8km out of Forbes.
Jack's arm goes up in thanks to tap Nick on the shoulder as they glide in.
On arriving at the Plainsman Motel the pool is an immediate hit although Carly Gillard forgets she has her mobile phone in her ride shirt pocket.
It is currently drying out while the riders and support crew will be damping down at tonight's Rotary Club dinner in our honour at the nearby Vandenburgh Hotel.
Tomorrow is a relatively short stage to Parkes, 33km by highway but between 40 and 60kmph by the dirt road route Barry Walton has devised.