I got waken up by Nikica’s father at 8h10. All the other participants were already riding and I could see their pictures and videos on Facebook. It felt strange to belong to a race without being on my bike. With a few dry biscuits in my mouth and inflated tires, I set off to the first climb of the day: a horrible 1000m D+ away from the Drina valley. The switchbacks kept coming at a steep 8% until I noticed that I had climbed the full elevation of my home country Belgium (694m) in less than an hour!
The other riders had taken a head start of more than an hour, so I had to stay patient. In the city of Rogatica, I was strangely craving for chicken with a cream sauce. I found a chicken with gorgonzola sauce in a fresh little Restoran where a waitress openly told me I was « so beautiful » with all of her friends watching. I didn’t know: was she serious or just joking? So I simply told her « Thank you ». No time here for a short-term relationship.
This hell of a day went on climbing under a scorching sun. But I had already slept and eaten, unlike my competitors. I was hoping this could give me an advantage to even win the race. Little did I know of the coming climbs… Reaching CP8 at Jahorina ski resort at 1685m on a conqueror’s tempo cost me a lot of efforts. I caught 3 riders and the 8th fastest time on Strava in my crazy ascension, but ended with a heart on the verge of exhaustion. It took about 30 minutes to calm down the pumping muscle. From there on I really took it calmly.
The ride down to Sarajevo was a welcome 30 kilometers without pedaling. Around the Bosnian capital the heat was so hard to bear that I dropped down at a store with salt crisps for 0.25€. I stayed there for 30 minutes, gazing at the horizon. The kind of simple moments you remember forever. An old lady was wondering who I was and where I came from, but there was no way to communicate.
What’s left of the ride is about holding on and never give up. My legs were clearly not responding anymore. I just kept them moving and tried not to stop too often. Sarajevo disappeared and the night fell on Bosnia once again. Still cycling. I knew the remaining distance of 150km was feasible, but a very high mountain (Vlašić, 1490m) was in the way. A trout would help me with that. But there comes a time that food and drinks don’t help you anymore. Only sleep could bring a solution.
There was no pride in my climb of Vlašić. Nikica and Szenia were riding a few switchbacks before me, but faster. I stopped every kilometer and it became a long and exhausting battle up to the top. The view looked amazing, but I only saw stars and little lights down in the valley. After a horrible 1h30 of efforts at 10km/h average, I reached the chalet where local volunteers were waiting for us all through the night. I asked: « Are your friends of Nikica? » They said « Yes ». I answered: « Not anymore then. »
Then I crashed down on a bench for a 2 hours nap. My stomach was acid of all the sugar intake. I was fed up of eating and drinking without ever catching up on my consumption. Strangely I woke up around 3am, remembering that I wanted to reach Banja Luka before 7am (exactly 3 days).
It was a cold way down. Dressed with my wind stopper and a jersey, I cautiously went down this road full of potholes. I’d hoped to get a better average by speeding down this bit. But safety first! Due to my acid stomach I had taken no food from the chalet. But it was still very early to find shops and now I was risking to fall without energy in the middle of the countryside.
The sun came up on the humid meadows of Banja Luka when I thought I had found the Pekara (bakery) that would save me. But their sandwiches were impossible to swallow. So I pedaled on to the Banja Luka valley, where I would finally arrive to the finish… again in 3rd position!!!
As soon as I had handed over my tracker and brevet card to the organisers, I went to eat old pasta, take a shower and sleep. It was vital at that point.
<< BACK TO DAY 2
<< BACK TO DAY 1
- Distance: 348,64 km
- Moving time: 16h38
- Average speed: 21,0 km/h
- Elevation: 5295 m
- Maximum speed: 73,8 km/h
- Temperature: 23*C average (max. 41*C)
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Une réflexion sur “B-HARD Leg 3 : Višegrad to Banja Luka (348km)”