Day: January 29, 2006

This morning at 8H00 a surprise was waiting for us at the start of the stage.  On the outskirts of Mullet we met the KLUB MARATONE de TIRANA and Tele Sports de TIRANA.  Steven, who just happened to be on hand yesterday for the 3000 km, mobilized the running club and the media.

Sotir is the administrator of the Klub.  Age 60, he has been running for 5 years.  Before starting  he weighed  93 kg and drank.  In five years he lost 16 kg and he no longer touches alcohol. He is champion of Albania and proudly represents his country with his flag in hand and his red T-shirt (the color of his country and with the 2 headed eagle).  He has run four marathons and a 100 km.  In Albania no official race is organized so we suggested that he might want to organize a marathon.  History will tell us if one day a race takes place…. We hope so.

This country really needs some more patriotism and sport is without doubt a good way to make one proud of oneself, to convey a lesson of courage and tenacity and to promote one’s country — simply a means of showing that one exists.  This little group is accompanied by Mimoza and Feliz, the wife and daughter of Steven, who followed by car.  This morning they gave the race a send off with balloons.  Four year old Feliz is a ray of sunshine, she even wanted to run a few hundred meters with her father.

36 km were run to Elbasan (and an 800 meter col was crossed).  That’s where our Albanian team left us.  What joy, what happiness and what pride for Serge and the rest of us to have shared those few hours with Sotir, Steven, Bledar, Mario, Arion and Washo who at 63 is the oldest member (His real name is Washington but the authorities asked him to change it several years ago). These men made us want to know more about their country and its people  who are isolated within Europe.  It’s a country which is close to our France and yet far from our centers of interest or even just our interest (it’s worth thinking about).

 The sunshine is with us and Serge moves on, what happiness.

Oh yes, something important:  if you want to to see us again on the the program “7 à 8,” log on to the web site www.tf1.fr under the heading of the program and vote.  Go quickly to the site and give your opinion of the coverage we got.  The more interest we raise the more chance we will have to see  the team from “7 à 8” join us again along the road which leads us to Tokyo.