The rough terrain jolts jelly snakes and energy bars from a top tube pack. That’d be unfortunate for a lot of competitors in the Hawea Epic near Wanaka, but for a Type 1 diabetic tackling the 125km race, it’s devastating.
That’s what happened to Clement Holgate at the 30km and 75km marks of this year’s event.
“About 15m above the lake on exposed bluffs, where the road is cut into stone cliffs, I pedal-struck a rock and sent myself over the edge and almost into the lake!” Holgate recalls.
“I climbed back up, straightened my bars and rode off again, only to discover I’d lost two of my crucial Bumper Bars and a bunch of time. Then, at the 75km mark, after being bounced around on my hardtail for three hours on rough terrain, I lost my snakes and energy bars!”
Holgate stresses out, knowing his blood glucose levels
