You know people genuinely love a hill-climbing challenge when they’re willing to give it a nudge even if the temperature nudge 105 F!
That’s exactly what was waiting for cyclists who rolled up to the base of Norton for the inaugural BikeExchange Norton Summit Strava Challenge. Mother Nature really knows how to dial it up sometimes, and she doesn’t ever seem to hold back when the Santos Tour Down Under comes to Adelaide.
A 3.5 mile climb with an average gradient of 5 per cent, Norton might sound civilized, but in reality it can be brutal, especially when things are toasty.
That said it’s not every day a prize pack is up for grabs that includes a hot lap in the Orcica-GreenEDGE car during stage 6, two VIP passes to stage 6, two passes to the Legends Dinner, and a full BikeExchange/ Cycling Tips kit (jersey, bib, gillet, socks).
Congratulations to Belinda Ward and Nathan Wicker, who respectively nabbed the female and male fastest climber of the day. We are pretty sure their Santos Tour Down Under has just got a whole lot more bragging rights.
Thanks everyone for braving the heat and giving this inaugural event a nudge – it was great to see you all out there.
See also: Here's another climb of the TDU - The brutally steep Corkscrew