Being a staff member on the TDA

As a staff member on the 2012 Tour D’Afrique your days are pretty full, usually from before sunrise to after sunset. In our seven day schedule you have one day that is called “Day Off”. Since you’re still moving along with the tour you typically use these days to ride your bike at your own pace or catch up things like email, laundry or sleep. This was a recent day off I enjoyed.

5:00- Wake up, give the kitchen guys a hand with getting breakfast ready

6:30- Help with morning dishes and dealing with the garbage

7:30- Get the trucks loaded up with our equipment and bikes

8:00- Finally get on my bike for my rest day ride

8:30- Help rider with flat

8:45- Fix my own flat

8:55- Fix my second flat

9:30- Find injured rider, help organise the evacuation

11:30- Back on my bike

11:35- Fix my third flat. The thorns over here are stupid

12:00- Lunch, find out I will be taking over the afternoon sweep for our doctor who accompanied the injured rider to the hospital

4:00- Finally to camp

4:05- Help Doug in the bike shop

6:00- Dinner

6:30- Crazy wind and rain storm! Help save the camp from blowing away!

7:00- Dinner dishes in the pouring rain

8:00- Set up my tent, crawl into my sleeping bag

8:15- Crawl out of tent to re-peg as it wants to blow away

8:17- Step on massive thorn with barefoot, hate thorns

8:30- Bed

A solid day off, wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

  — Ciaran Powers