Round and round we go

Stage 36
Day Total: 91.36km
Total Time: 4:49
Avg. Speed: 19.0km/h
Avg. Heart Rate: 134bpm
Total Climbing: 1329m

The rider meeting the previous night described this ride as “a long, slow grind” featuring “brutal corrugation” over increasingly “rough roads”. Nobody can say that this tour doesn’t deliver…

An interesting phenomena develops amongst riders as the tour progresses. Personal barriers are broken or pushed outward, new extremes are experienced, limits are reached. Together these create a coping mechanism for challenging days that is based on relativity. Effectively, you get through a day by identifying positive points in your current situation that are created by comparing the present to the past. For example, it was hot today, but it certainly was not as hot as our dirt rides in the Sudan. The roads were rough, but not nearly as rough as other days. It is subtle, but in the moment it can help.

Today’s stage was another “mando” stage featuring a 30-minute time bonus. We were hopeful that UK Paul could leverage his strength on the dirt to take the win. We ended up close, but not close enough. The two Pauls and myself made good time to the lunch truck over rough but not unruly roads. I sat on the front of the group, trying to spare UK Paul for the late stages. It was not to be. Paul Wolfe made a big move at the base of a steep climb at 75km into the ride. It was never my intention to go with him, but he opened a small gap to UK Paul. UK Paul started to close, but suffered some traction issues on the steepest bits of the climb. He made up time on the ensuing rough descent, but an unexpected end to the gravel road in lieu of pavement gave Paul Wolfe the break he needed to maintain a 60 second lead into the finish.

Overall, this was a fairly tough day. The battle for 3rd place overall still ensues and I managed to gain a few minutes on my rivals even though we never saw them on the ride today. Relentless headwinds hurt me all day long and the continuous bumps in the road meant I could not spin my usual high cadence. The legs hurt, the butt hurts, and I am hungry. The bright spot in the day is our campsite location at the Yabelo hotel. Availability of a real meal immediately after the completion of a ride does wonders for recovery. Cold drinks (Fanta Orange and Harrar Beer) don’t hurt either.

Interesting sights/sounds in the camp tonight:

• The hotel staff’s nearly complete obsession with the green grass they have grown in the newer area of the hotel. A man with a stick walks around to ensure nobody pitches their tent on it. After any of us even sits on the grass, this uniformed man comes to inspect the spot and give us dirty looks.
• The hotel had satellite TV service but seemed to be stuck on only one channel. Admittedly, I had no idea a channel existed that played only one program. Which program? I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s a Japanese program in which contestants try to navigate a series of ridiculous obstacle courses. You know the one… and you know you like it.
• Ordering a pizza resulted in the pizza being served within 15 minutes. Spaghetti with meat sauce required in excess of 1 hour 14 minutes

My father has decided he indeed does need a break. Tomorrow morning he will take a car back to Addis Ababa with multi-bike Mike. Once there they will fly to Zanzibar for a 10-day break before rejoining the group in Arusha, Tanzania. If I’m honest, I’m a bit jealous, but the beach will be there for years to come…