Voici la nouvelle plaque chinoise du 4X4.
Et voilà celle du camping-car.
Serge dans ses nouveaux vàªtements.
regarder bien, o๠sont les chevraux ?
Serge fatigué ?
petite sieste pour le guide et le chauffeur!!
Fin d’une très belle étape
D132 – 78.9Km
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
N39 48.882 E74 05.231 (2732m – Chiqen, China) – N39 48.046 E74 48.824 (2773m – in the mountains)
78.9 km – 10H20′
On our first day in China we have dazzling sunshine. In spite of rough terrain and a high altitude, Serge is keeping a good pace. His stride is alert (at the 40th kilometer the altitude was 2440 meters, at the 58th kilometer it was 3000 meters), the road dips and winds in a succession of ups and downs. The hues of the mountains vary: blue, gray, pink and green, then as the light becomes more intense the earth and the rock become red, vermilion.
We continue to receive lots of messages and some of you are worried about not receiving a response. All of your messages are read by Serge. Your inspiration is boundless and gives us the motivation and desire to pursue this “dream” as you so often call it. As Michel pointed out, “I have sent you 40 messages which are to be taken like medicine.” To give you an idea, we have received more than 2500 message since the race started, not counting our partners, followers and close family. It’s true, they are real remedies when we have doubts or our spirits are low. We have enough material to prepare a book and we thank you for your fidelity.
Lots of you have made note of the half way mark. Jean-Marie, faithful in his correspondence, has given us the idea of drawing up a balance sheet, to which Serge sends this response:
The first 15 days were nothing but pain, the body had to submit to the continuous effort I subjected it to, then click, the mind got the best of it. Up to 6000 kilometers, in spite of the cold and the snow, it was a delight. A small cruralgia type pain made me change my running style and use the famous Cyrano method, which has enabled me to keep a good daily average. From 6000 kilometers fatigue set in and reached it’s paroxysm between 8000 and 9000 kilometers. When both body and spirit are low, I’m unable to appreciate the scenery, I’m closed and I have to wait patiently to feel better. But no two days are alike and basically I’m a contemplator so I admire my surroundings. I set myself a goal for the number of days it would take to reach 10,000 kilometers and I will probably be under that number. I’m pleased with my progression and to share these beautiful and sometimes difficult moments with my team mates who, with only one exception, have shown understanding, devotion, kindness and a positive and boundless energy. There is still a long road ahead and humility is the word of the day in order to reach my ultimate objective: Tokyo.”