Une belle ligne droite pour commencer. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Hors route… Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Serge se bagarre avec le vent…. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Arrêt momentané. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Piste chinoise. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Route parallèle. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Un point rouge a l’horizon: Serge. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Ludo protège Serge du vent. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Le vent sévit régulièrement ici. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Le camping-car protège Serge de l’air déplacé par les poids lourds… Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
Des chameaux sur la route de la Soie…. Photo Thomas BREGARDIS
D156 – 50.1Km
MONDAY, MAY 22
N43 22.827 E91 34.868 (1045m) – N43 22.488 E92 08.833 (1614m)
50 km – 9H04′
Force 12 wind: the curtain went down!
We get the impression that you have sent us last weekend’s gales from France. They arrived and were too much for us. The fight was over before it started.
At noon, Serge gave up, stopped his heart beat monitor and climbed into the camper. It looked like the day was over for him, he was physically and morally exhausted. We spent the afternoon hoping that the wind would calm down. We ate lunch in the camper because it wasn’t possible to eat outside or put up a tent. Serge lay down and the rest of us took a nap or talked. Ludo and Daniel have intestinal problems and the wind has worn us out. It was beyond Serge’s perseverance, he just could not go on. What a day! What shall we do?
At 15H00 Laure suggested to Serge that he return to marker the marker where he stopped (3746) because in any case we had to look for a place to camp. Like it or not, Serge decided to put on his shoes and make a second start on a trail which ran along the road. He managed to trot along, then found the shoulder 2 hours and 10 kilometers further along. There stress got the upper hand. He was afraid of being sucked under by a truck or thrown into the ravine by a strong gust of wind (we are in the mountains where the terrain is rough, there is very little space and the slope is steep).
We decided to follow Serge for security reasons. The trucks which went around us passed further from Serge and we were ready to take action in case of danger. Serge marked time, stopped and spread his arms and legs to get stability when he was hit by a gust of wind. All his muscles were tetanized, the wind was icy and chilled the blood.
Nobody knew where we could camp: there was nothing to protect us. Daniel came up with the idea of asking at a toll gate. There they said we could use a corner of their parking space, at the foot of a building, which gave us some protection. We were able to pitch our tents. We also took advantage of their canteen to eat in the warmth. It was a camp adapted to the late hour and the weather conditions.
Serge said “If I fall or break something the race is over. I have never been so afraid.”