My younger brother Roger has been entering a few Enduro rallies in the Veteran class (over fifties) in places like Greece and Morocco in recent years with some fair results in the teens and twenties overall. I don't know but I think he was goaded into entering this years Red Bull Romaniacs which is on this week, it has a reputation for being one of the toughest rally's to enter and it seems the poor old lad is finding that out first hand!
This is a copy of his F/B ramblings after the second day.
"Shall we talk about something else, loved bikes till I entered this, just to make it clear this is not fun.
How about we discuss something more rewarding like Sibiu architecture?? It's a beauty of a city, those Roman's know how to build with grace, unlike Barret homes, pic attached
No thought not, highlights of the yesterday were stir fried chicken for dinner.
Bike riding always seemed such fun, Not in Romaniacs.
128km in under 8 hours today a distance that normally would not cause to much bother but I'm just not fast enough here, it is brutal in the hills.
Set off at just before 8 and rode non stop up 300 meter hills mixed with off camber hillsides with boulders in the grass mixed with the steepest downhills with fallen trees across the path. Mid morning I stopped at a medical point and got my ribs strapped with tape and some pain killers for my bruised rib, still refuse to upgrade rib status to cracked until tomorrow s failure.
The afternoon had breaks in the constant attack of the morning, but by then I was still not quick enough by the last check so I think I timed out. The maddest part of the afternoon was lifting bike over tree trunk losing balance and falling down hillside unable to halt momentum, closely followed by a cart wheeling enduro bike that has decided it is now the terminator. I do appreciate the bike hates me, at one point I did the equivalent of dropping the bike out of a first floor bedroom window, rather than ride the route which was pretty close to a sheer drop, WTF!!
Zippy and Patsy have given me a motivational talk that tomorrow all will be fine, so I've taken the noose down from the tree temporarily.
Chris Barwick is completely off Desert Rose Racing corporate message with his summary of my situation "Rog is not called the world hardest enduro for nothing"
accompanied with his fabulous laugh.
Today's options then
Quit Bronze class and drop to Iron class, likley hood 2%
Continue Bronze and not get timed out, likleyhood 1%
Continue Bronze and get timed out of race completely, likleyhood 100% quite appealing.
Bale out first thing today, accept complete failure and ask Chris if fancies a days trail riding with lunch, appeal factor 1000%
Have a good day"
This is a copy of his F/B ramblings after the second day.
"Shall we talk about something else, loved bikes till I entered this, just to make it clear this is not fun.
How about we discuss something more rewarding like Sibiu architecture?? It's a beauty of a city, those Roman's know how to build with grace, unlike Barret homes, pic attached
No thought not, highlights of the yesterday were stir fried chicken for dinner.
Bike riding always seemed such fun, Not in Romaniacs.
128km in under 8 hours today a distance that normally would not cause to much bother but I'm just not fast enough here, it is brutal in the hills.
Set off at just before 8 and rode non stop up 300 meter hills mixed with off camber hillsides with boulders in the grass mixed with the steepest downhills with fallen trees across the path. Mid morning I stopped at a medical point and got my ribs strapped with tape and some pain killers for my bruised rib, still refuse to upgrade rib status to cracked until tomorrow s failure.
The afternoon had breaks in the constant attack of the morning, but by then I was still not quick enough by the last check so I think I timed out. The maddest part of the afternoon was lifting bike over tree trunk losing balance and falling down hillside unable to halt momentum, closely followed by a cart wheeling enduro bike that has decided it is now the terminator. I do appreciate the bike hates me, at one point I did the equivalent of dropping the bike out of a first floor bedroom window, rather than ride the route which was pretty close to a sheer drop, WTF!!
Zippy and Patsy have given me a motivational talk that tomorrow all will be fine, so I've taken the noose down from the tree temporarily.
Chris Barwick is completely off Desert Rose Racing corporate message with his summary of my situation "Rog is not called the world hardest enduro for nothing"
accompanied with his fabulous laugh.
Today's options then
Quit Bronze class and drop to Iron class, likley hood 2%
Continue Bronze and not get timed out, likleyhood 1%
Continue Bronze and get timed out of race completely, likleyhood 100% quite appealing.
Bale out first thing today, accept complete failure and ask Chris if fancies a days trail riding with lunch, appeal factor 1000%
Have a good day"