With the race starting at 6am from a beach near the campsite, teams were up and about from 4:30, eating breakfast, packing away tents and getting their kit together. Fortunately the good weather that had graced Sunday evening had held overnight, meaning the tents were dry and the wind was relatively low. A few were feeling the effects of the Prologue, not only aches and pains from the exertion, but also the cuts and bruises of those who’d taken a tumble on the wet roads. Fortunately injuries were minor, but some cyclists had learnt to a) brake earlier for road junctions and b) not put power down through the pedals when crossing cattle grids.
The race proper started with a mass-start swim along the beach between the Eriskay ferry terminal and the campsite. With very little wind and swell, the conditions were good for the swimmers, who charged en-masse into the water. Lars Hyllested was the first to emerge at the other end, over a minute ahead of his nearest competitor. One of the last swimmers out of the water was suffering the effects of the prologue a little more than expected, and walked the last 30 yards of the leg in waist-deep water.
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