Atlas Mountain Race: Day Three — James Mark Hayden

Rising before dawn, I pack up and roll off through a long dry morning.

Toiling away in the afternoon heat, slowly closing in on CP2, I’m riding along a barren desert section. No trees with shade so no temptation this time, only the thought of resupply at the checkpoint. Eventually, I reached the top of the climb, having passed several false summits. The barren desert gives way and I am tearing down the endless switchbacks. I smile, I love to ride fast and this is the reward for the morning’s toil. The switchbacks open up and in the glaring sunlight is an oasis, so beautiful I feel I must be hallucinating. No sooner than it started does the descent end, onto the valley floor and I am embraced and refreshed by the cool of the oasis. A truly magical place.

My brevet card is stamped. I’m six hours behind Sofiane, in second place. I want some proper food before heading into the night. I haven't stopped all day. I eat a tomato salad. Then another. The vinegar stings my tongue after all the sugar but the taste was so welcome. A plate of chips and a chicken tagine. Once I'd eaten, I swap my rear derailleur hanger for a fresh one. Obviously, I omitted to say but I also stacked it on day one on that descent, not far before Nick. Thankfully no one saw me! The only issue was a bent rear derailleur hanger. It didn’t cause much of a problem but the chain was occasionally jumping off the big sprocket so I sacrifice 20 minutes and sort the problem, I knew I’d need my 51T sprocket again soon. Pit stop done in a reasonably efficient manner, I get back on the bike, leaving the oasis behind me.

An abrupt short steep tarmac climb on a full stomach is fun. Then I turn right onto what should have been a bad hike-a-bike. I had copious route notes that were correct but no hike-a-bike came. Confused, I guessed the terrain had somehow altered. Instead of having to carry and push bike, I was given a pleasant riverbed ride. Into the darkness I ride, the kilometres clicking down as I made swift progress on some tarmac. I text Nelson to let him know that the tarmac was boring, and I wanted some more hard pushing, joking how far my mind had warped since the Transcontinental days. I rounded a corner, paying half attention, my mind wandering with the tarmac boredom and I nearly ride straight into a herd of camels blocking the road. I am awoken from my state and screech to a stop. I thread between them and they eye me up nonchalantly. Are they really there or am I hallucinating, again?

Finally, the tarmac comes to a dead end. I thread my way between some houses and up a sharp climb and onto some rough stuff. I am at home again, climbing off road. It’s past midnight now, I have ridden for 20 hours and not seen another racer. I descend, checking my route notes. I see that the next climb is a much-anticipated feature of the race, the ‘Old Colonial Road’. Now being 2 am it is a reasonable time to stop and rest. I am 360 km from the finish here, and I know I won’t be stopping again. I will need serious energy for whatever was to come on the last ‘day’. The finish will be far from easy.

I set my alarm for just 90 minutes of sleep, instead of the previous 3 hours. I would have to do something really special to catch Sofiane, he has a serious lead around 100 km or 6 hours. In all honesty it felt beyond me, impossible, and I was racing myself to the finish. Losing those 90 minutes of sleep was not going to be enough on its own but it was a start. My body was in good shape and I knew I could begin to push it to maximum. My mind was strong and ready to enter the game.

I had started the race too slow. He was just too fast. I’m chasing him all the way to the coast. Whatever, I will always try. I love to push myself. The impossible can be possible.

Day 3 Stats

Distance: 282 km

Elevation: 3,000 m

Riding time: 20h 42m

Stopped time: 1h 30m

Sleep: 1h 30m

Ride with GPS: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/45072297