by Bruno Ferriera (support)
26/11/2019
We left Johannesburg at 10:30 and we got to the race registration point around 14:30. We received an amazing welcome and the race promotors made us feel at home. Marco signed for his race plate and goodies bag.
From there, off to the lodge to unpack and get the bike ready for the last spin before the race. Dinner and then off for a good night’s rest for tomorrow the great challenge will unfold, minute by minute and kilometre by kilometre.
27/11/2019
The day started early but the anxiety didn’t let us sleep. We were up at dawn, double/triple checked everything and then headed out to the start race village where all the riders started gathering for this epic adventure.
The briefing puts everyone on the same page – all is addressed, from routes to rules and after that, we all head out to the start line. The tension and the mental fight were obvious on everyone’s faces. All the sudden the GO word is shouted and off they went…in no time all I could see was the cloud of dust left behind the wheels of this Munga machines.
I have a 230km drive until the next race village. The temperatures reached 39deg making it even more difficult for the riders – at least I had an airconditioned car. The sights were stunning as this was my first time in this area & terrain. On my Van der Kloof, the car starts running low on petrol, but I still have around 100km left. Eventually, after doing 20km without petrol, I found a garage to refill.
Got to the first race village and everything was set up and ready for the riders. All the sudden Ramses arrives with tears in his eyes. I asked him what happen and he told me that he couldn’t handle the high temperatures during the day. 45deg isn’t a walk in the park, especially for foreigners who train in different weather conditions. So Ramses was out of the race, his mom and sister picked him up and they left.
Marco arrived 2nd place and Firoz 23rd. Marco complained about the heat during the day. I drive to the next race village in Britstown where I am hoping to get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow.
The drive was a mission, low visibility and I was tired to the point that I nearly parked the car on the side of the road to sleep. Eventually got to Britstown at 03h30 and found a place to sleep.
28/11/2019
It’s 06h00am – no sleep and it’s time to go to Loxton, the next race village. The drive was great, I even had a cappuccino to start the day. Beautiful views, strange rock formations and a scorching heat with no words to describe it. The air conditioner was on but that did not make a difference. Once again the temperature reached 44deg.
Marco just phoned me saying that he had to stop for a shower due to the intense heat. I’ll be waiting for him at the race village.
Our home player (Firoz) is doing a great ride, keeping it steady and managing the energy levels properly. What a legend!!!
It’s now 18h00 and Marco reaches the race village – he is feeling the pain of the heat and exhaustion and wants to give up. He said that one more day of this heat and he will faint whilst riding the bike. I talked to him and managed to convince him otherwise so now, he’s going for a shower, leg massage and 30 minutes power nap. By then will be night time and cooler.
We left the race village and started our way to Sutherland. Dodgy farm roads and there’s me driving a VW Polo. 45 minutes in and we found another rider, so tired that he said there were elephants around him. We’ve managed to get him out of that and we all when together. Small mistakes due to the lack of concentration were a constant; so after having 2 small punctures on the car, I decided to change at least one wheel and while I did, they both slept for about an hour. Then we carried on going.
29/11/2019
As we get into Fraserburg around 05h20, nothing was open so I had to wait for the tyre place to open at 08h00. Marco and Sithembiso continued on their own and I manage to leave Fraserburg by 10h30.
After a long, long drive, I got to Ceres and rented a room so I can get some rest. Marco should be in Ceres within the next 5 hours and from there, I’ll go with him until the end.
30/11/2019
Marco got to the last race village at 03h00, ate something quickly and off we went. He is feeling strong and all happy with the temperature of 14deg, which just shows how the weather can influence an athlete’s performance.
From Ceres he had to do Michell’s Pass and let me tell, what a task; up, up and more up. Impressive scenery – that road is literally cut on the mountain rock face. Marco was consistent and attacking the hills most of the times.
On the other side, down the pass, Marco was achieving proper speed, spiking at 72km/h. Almost at the bottom, he turned left to an awesome single track that would lead to the finish line. So I went as fast as I could to see him crossing the line. I took the wrong road and ended up in the middle of vineyards but after a while, I found my way out to the finish line.
When I got there Marco already had already finished and had his medal. I took some photos and that was it. No major cheering, no people…nothing. It was me, Marco and the race mastermind Alex. We had a coffee, chatted a bit, more photos and we discussed future plans.
In the end, I realized that the exhaustion of the riders who finished was so great that the race organizers decided to do the prize-giving on Monday. Otherwise, they would have had three zombies on the podium.
Overall, I had a great time, met a lot of people, made some good friends and took a load of photos of the scenery with the Forward Speed products. I also had the opportunity of crossing the Karoo desert on roads that normally aren’t used. Besides the tiredness, it was worth every second; the issues that I encountered along the way are part of the adventure.
Note that this race is the most demanding race I’ve ever seen and even though I just drove behind Marco, I felt so tired that I can’t describe. I can only imagine how the riders feel.
For me all the riders are absolute Legends, no one can take that from them; just to finish is an achievement and I take my hat to all of them. Respect for them and for the Munga.
Bruno Ferreira
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