Ethiopia!

We are into our third country and our third day with temperatures in excess of 40C. Tomorrow we probably will have similar heat in the hills, let me rephrase, the mountains begin. Over the next 16 cycling days we will climb approximately 19km. It will be extremely interesting to see how people cope after an easy ride through Egypt and relatively easy ride through Sudan. Our toughest day yet is still probably the 1st day out of Cairo. It is ALL about to change!

In general, people have been coping well with the heat and there have been no serious cases of dehydration. There are a few bruised egos with people losing their EFI status, but there is also the realization that the pressure to hold onto it is also gone. Some riders are spending more time on the bus than on a bike and at this rate it could be interesting to see how much of Ethiopia they will see on their bike; at least they will avoid the sticks and stones that the locals are renowned for using on TDA riders.

I am expecting a few more falls, a lot more diarrhea and definitely some exhausted riders. I have already had to ask someone not to ride a full day and although I don’t enjoy stopping people from riding, this is a trip over 4 months and everyone needs to get to Cape Town in one piece.