The toughest 48 hours in sport it is called, and I guess it’s true... I haven’t done anything harder or more demanding than the FURNACE CREEK 508.   I could say that also BADWATER was pretty tough... but also that is why they are part of the Death Valley Cup.

I took the plane to Los Angeles on Wednesday the first.  I arrived at 15:00 at LAX airport, and my crew members were already waiting for me, they arrived earlier.  Unfortunately my bike didn’t arrive, and after lots of phone calls I finally got it on thursday night, the box had to be opened by customs and unfortunately they didn’t re-pack it well and my frame got all scratched...  Oh well, that is life. 

We went to by supplies for the race, like food, water and extra tubes for the bike, night lights, signs for the van, a totem sign... instead of numbers, the race director demands totems.  This are some kind of spiritual representation of animals.  I picked “Quetzal”, Guatemala’s national bird, one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

The race started on Saturday at 7 am.  It was a little chilly, we all went out like a group guided by a police patrol that was also stopping traffic to let us pass.  After the city stretch, the cyclist started to go fast, and there was a long climb, there was light rain and then totally foggy, we couldn’t see a thing.  We were obliged to put our red lights on for security reasons.  After we came down the mountain, then the sky cleared and the wind started to blow.  It was so windy, I got kind of scared, when the wind hit side ways my bike would just vibrate and I felt insecure and afraid of having an accident.  We changed my front wheel for the training wheel, but it was also shaking on the downhill.  I wasn’t sure at one point if it was the wheels, the bike, or myself being afraid of going fast down the hill. 

The first 200 miles went great, lots of speed, then we hit Townes Pass and it was grueling, It was so steep, 11 miles and 3,800 feet of climbing.  I was wishing I had a bigger rear cassette.  But I did climbed it, and there was a beautiful sunset.  At the top it got dark, and we start going down the hill as fast as possible, there was a beautiful storm and lightning in front of us.  The crewing vehicle followed me closely to light me the road.  Then the rain hit and it was painful on my skin, I was so cold I had to stop and get a jacket and change the wheel that was shaky and I was scared to fall.

We pass some of the BADWATER course, all in the dark.  around 9 p.m., I started to feel so sleepy, I had pain in my neck, shoulder, exhaustion, the members of my crew (Ferg and Billy Hawk, Shayne Choquette and Ryan McKenzie), They saw that I was riding kind of zigzagging and pulled me to the side of the road, they gave me some coffee and a little neck rub, I put more cream in my chamois in my bike shorts, and then I go again.  it was a really long hard climb, 34 miles of climbing from 150 feet bellow sea level to 3,315 feet.  I remember Shanna Armstrong had told me that not matter what, not to quit at mile 300.  So there I knew why... It was very tempting, to quit, the hill was so hard, and long, and so dark that you can not even see where the top is.  and the worst of it is that there are two passes on that pass, so you arrive at one pass after 5 miles of climbing, Jubilee Pass, you think it is over, you howl down for a couple minutes and then again, up for another 9.5 miles! to Salsberry Pass. Then a long downhill, very nice, long and not steep, I could take a look at the stars which were magnificent.  I was cold though, but, never thought of bringing any leg warmers or anything... oh well, I didn’t think about it.  I kept going, coffee once in a while when I felt I was dosing off.  I had to be very aware of how I felt, since i though it could be easy to get too tired and sleepy and in a blink of an eye, fall and crash.

I kept going, the night started to turn to day... very slowly, it was so beautiful to look at how it all happens, and how the very light light start to appear behind the mountain, and how it starts to get brighter and brighter, all in slow motion and I kept going and going. 

My crew were unbelievable... It is hard to explain this special connection where it all fits into place.  We all have our own lives, but when it comes to do the team work they are the best.  They can read what I need, and I accept the suggestions, about food and drinks, a pee stop, what ever, it all goes smoothly.  There were times that I was so tired and my brain was so tired that I was talking to them in french and at the same time realizing that it was wrong, correcting myself saying it in english but then doing it again.  I realized I was thinking in french while I was riding.  Oh well this things happen, plus the fatigue and all.

I kept going and going, and I could mention every pass and describe it in details which I think it would be boring, around 10 mountain passe and a total of 35,000 feet of climbing (Everest has 29,035 feet) .  All I can say is that I made it to Baker, last check point, about 56 miles to the finish line, Robyn Benincasa, an adventure race champion was there serving a 15 min penalty for not stopping at a stop sign.  I saw her, and we had been passing each other many times during the race.  Very strong woman.  I felt like bringing out my competitive urge and started to push it with my soul.  I just hammered and pushed and pushed to give it all in that last part of the race.  And I was holding it on, so I kept going strong, my crew members kept encouraging me and I kept on trying to give the best of myself. 

There were a few climbs and it seemed like forever, then I remember again Shanna Armstrong and how she told me that the last 8 miles were very hard and it seemed like a never ending torture, so I prepared myself to endure that torture telling myself “this too will pass” and it did.  about 500 m to the finish line I looked at my watch and saw that I could go under 33 hours if I sprinted to the end... oh well one last effort for what I’d just done... why not? it always feels better to say that you did less than 33 than saying you did 33.  So my final time was 32:58’ and I was second.  After 35,000 feet of climbing, all the extreme weather conditions (fog, wind, heat, rain and some rough roads), the best crew in the planet, which were responsible for my great performance with their combination of taking care of me, knowing when to encourage me, when to back off, and when to joke.  I am grateful that they came to help me and all the constant work they put in to make it all happened.  Thank you Ferg, Billy, Shayne and Ryan.

RESULTS

MORE PHOTOS OF THE FURNACE CREEK 508