Epic Racing around the World

Four. This is a battle. There are lots of casualties. What’s setting this race apart from any I’ve done and especially exceeded my expectations is the raw and rugged nature of the course.

Deep soft ground, fatigue, holes, rocks, piles and piles of roots, bridges, heat and sweat, dark and damp woods, and plenty of slappers…you know, those branches that normally are trimmed on popular trails…but in the back woods, the rider in front of you hits it, bends it back…and SLAP.

The dinner hall looks like we’re feeding pirates because of all the eye patches. Scary.

War zone. (none of these are our riders…but…)

Body count.

Another day. Another loss of flesh.

No one in the above photos went to see the medic…but this guy did??

I haven’t been carrying my camera in the races thus far…but will in the next stages. So…to make up for slacking earlier in the race, I took a stroll through the tent city.

gear bags exploding. no one is packing any longer…just stuffing gear into the bag and hoping the zippers hold.

sick. those gloves look gnarly.

We’re keeping it slightly more tidy over at camp MonavieCannondale…healing bodies and such is better done in an organized environment.

meanwhile…the trek camp is looking a little grumpy. attacking river crossings and in the feedzones will do that to a crew.

Matt and Sue are still holding strong in 2nd place on GC…though they were waxed by Katie Compton and her hubby today.

Bart and I…well, Bart’s feeling a bit…hmm…smashed.

Mitchell and Tinker attacked in the first few K’s today…and promptly became lost. Max Plaxton attacked solo in a race that’s a team event. Dre thought he was lost, when really he was riding solo off the front. Teams have to hit the check points together. No one every claimed bike racers are the sharpest knives in the drawer. There’s a reason we’re riding together…we have to! Well, on our team at least, we do like each other, too.

As the stages add up, all we do know is get dressed for the race at the last moment, ride, cross the finish, shower, eat, and chill. Bear the Dog has the routine down pat.

4 down. 3 to go.

Recap:

Bart and Sager - 5th overall. Bart’s shattered and battered. Singletrack days coming up, so there’s still a race going on.

Matt and Sue - 2nd overall but 3rd is creeping up on them.

Tinker and Mitchell - hmm, 15th? 50th? attacking. cracking. missing turns. flatting. surging and finding each other again.

This race is becoming as much an adventure in the backwoods as anything else. We’re off to Squamish for the next day. Should be…interesting!