"Udo," I called out from within the start box. "Which race is harder, this one or the Tour de France?" I asked with a smile.
In a thick German accent, Udo Boelts, a veteran of more than 10 Tours replied, "It is about the same. The Tour is longer, but this... in this you have no recovery, no smooth spinning and descents on which you can eat, drink and recover. This race, it is always go, go, go!"
copyright Sven Martin
Somehow, I suspected that might be the answer to my question. The Cape Epic is like the Tour without the chatty laughing from the peleton or occasional neutral pee breaks. At the stage finishes of the Cape Epic, you'll never see sparkling clean bikes and fresh faced riders. And you'd better bet your ass that the riders in this race are suffering from the beating that close to 1000 kilometers of prehistoric red dust, sand and volcanic rock can dish out on your hands, feet and tail.
This morning was tough at the Trek team camp. Jenny, who is in second place on our women's team, was sick and wore a look of dread on her face. I asked how she was doing. "Not good," she said, holding back tears. I knew she was not only sick, but also run down. Who isn't run down at this point? I know I am. Sleep deprivation, aching muscles, the hardship of brutal five-hour stages, the best competitors in the world; these things add up. I wasn't much feeling like putting my raw ass on a bike's seat for one more day, but I didn't share this. Instead, I said, "I'm proud of you. There's only one more short day after this! We're almost done."
Read the rest of my account, and view photos of Stage Seven, at the King of the Mountain blog.
Links to some of the race coverage are up on the News page.
Wish us luck, tomorrow is the final stage.
Jeremiah
Labels: Cape Epic 2008, Endurance Racing, Epic Adventures
posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 5:40 PM 
