2017 THE INDIAN PACIFIC WHEELRACE

1st COAST-TO-COAST IN AUSTRALIA, FROM PERTH TO SYDNEY

Saturday 18/3/2017
Day 1: Freemantle – Coolgardie 604 km

The advantage of an early start is that you are able to enjoy a normal sleep before the hell begins. It only rains about 13 days a year in Perth, guess what the weather was like initially near the lighthouse…
As I arrived fairly late at the start, I had to put myself at the end of the line. I departed as last one for the other side of Australia, a small trip of 5400 kilometres.

The departure of such events is often chaotic and it was this time, it takes some time before everything normalizes. After an hour, I could start to cycle alone and in peace.
Soon after the start I got acquainted with the Australian reality, outside the towns and villages there is literally nothing. The only distraction is to cycle for several kilometres on gravel roads because of the road works. For the remainder of this first day the goal is mainly to cover kilometres and not to waste time with futilities.

At noon I buy a sandwich at a gas station and here the tone is set for the other refuelling service stations during the rest of the race: each time a sandwich, chocolate and some other junk …

2017 THE INDIAN PACIFIC WHEELRACE

1^er COAST-TO-COAST EN AUSTRALIE, DE PERTH A SYDNEY

 

Samedi 18/3/2017 jour 1: Freemantle – Coolgardie 604 km

L’avantage d’un départ matinal est de pouvoir profiter une dernière fois d’un sommeil normal avant que l’enfer commence. Il ne pleut que 13 jours par an à Perth, devinez quel temps il faisait au départ près du phare…

Comme je m’étais présenté assez tardivement au départ, il a fallu que je me mette à la queue de la file. Je prenais comme tout dernier le départ vers l’autre côté de l’Australie, une petite sortie de 5400 kilomètres.

Le départ de tels événements est souvent chaotique et maintenant aussi, il faut un certain temps avant que tout se normalise. Après une heure, je pouvais commencer à rouler seul et dans le calme.

2017 de INDIAN PACIFIC WHEELRACE

1^STE COAST-TO-COAST IN AUSTRALIE, VAN PERTH NAAR SYDNEY

Zaterdag 18/3/2017, dag 1: Freemantle – Coolgardie, 604 km

Het voordeel van een ochtendstart is dat je nog een laatste keer kan genieten van een normale nachtrust vooraleer de hel losbreekt. In Perth regent het ongeveer 13 dagen per jaar, rara welk weer het was bij de start aan de vuurtoren…☹ Omdat ik me redelijk laat aanmeldde mocht ik achteraan aanschuiven. Na het startschot en alle commotie die daarmee gepaard gaat kon ik uiteindelijk als allerlaatste op mijn gemak vertrekken naar de andere kant van Australië, een tripje van 5.400 kilometer.

Het begin van zo’n race is altijd wat chaotisch en ook nu duurde het weer een tijdje voor alles wat in zijn plooi viel. Maar na een uur kon ik letterlijk rustig en alleen beginnen fietsen.

2016 Transcontinental race (EN) 8D/15H/02M

• One stage, the clock never stops, racers choose where and when to rest.
• No support allowed.  The racer uses only when they take with them,
   or what they can buy along the way from ordinary shops.
• The participant chooses their own route and along the way there are 4 mandatory control points.

The atmosphere at the start was amazing thanks to the large number of participants and supporters.  The first kilometres were chaotic but later, when I was alone, I was able to concentrate and focus on riding.  During the first hours the territory was familiar allowing me to make strong progress, keeping the stops to eat or whatever to a minimum.

Transcontinental Race London-Istanbul 2013

WARNING: This story hasn’t got too much of adventure because everything went really well. But for the followers i tried to write it down and i am hoping you enjoy it.

It was a hard decision to enter or not to enter the race. I like long distance races and a little bit of adventure is always fun, but because this was the first edition… i doubted. Is this a serious event, the site and sponsors were looking promising… But the most important questions were, what is the average time to get to Istanbul, and what is the level of the other riders? The whole thing made me really curious, so i decided to enter the race and give it a try.

“A bit of training, good mapping, lightweight traveling and a sparkle of luck should do the trick”