I was so hopeful when I went to bed last night that all was going to be well, but frequent trips to the loo and the now familiar nausea were still with me when I woke this morning. Again I’ve…
Stunning Samarkand (rest day 1)
Things weren’t great overnight on the stomach front and I wasn’t feeling too flash when I woke up, but decided to eat breakfast anyway to try and replenish some of what’s been burnt over the last 48 hours. We average…
Struggling to Samarkand (stage 73)
Physically I was feeling like I was improving when I went to bed last night but four trips ‘out’ overnight dispelled that. Yesterday six more riders elected to skip today’s riding and take a taxi into Samarkand – a combination…
The three horsemen (stage 72)
For over two and a half months I had no stomach problems at all, but in the last two and a half weeks I’ve had nothing but problems which started all over again at 0230 this morning! By the time it…
From farms to desert (stage 71)
In the end we were up too early this morning – breakfast was at 0500, but it was still really dark at that point so we had to hang around until it was light enough to leave which given that…
The Pamir Highway
Along the way Jacob, one of the crew, has been taking video footage of us riding. He’s also been interviewing a number of the participants, including me, and he put together this rather impressive little video. The other person talking…
Welcome to Uzbekistan (stage 70)
Today was another of those slightly surreal days Someone: “What did you do today?” Me: “Went for a ride on my bike” Someone: “Cool, where’d you go?” Me: “Oh you know, Uzbekistan” On ‘paper’ today looked a pretty easy day,…
Dripping hot in Dushanbe (rest day)
I didn’t manage to sleep in as much as I’d have liked to as I woke up starving just before 0700 and couldn’t get back to sleep after that. The hotel breakfast was fine, but they only had instant coffee…
Downhill to Dushanbe (stage 69)
Slower start, quick downhill to tunnel, fast convoy through tunnel, 10km of awesome downhill (top speed 77.8 km/h), long climb (Grant and I dropped Will), descent to lunch, even better descent (30km in 50min), crazy traffic, car wash, into hotel by…
Climbing till the end (stage 68)
Out of town, no police check, tail wind, downhill, castle in the wrong place, big climb to lunch, roadside butchery, fall at railway lines, old airport, wrong distance, boy being brakes on the cart, long climb, Grant at coke stop,…