175 kilometers in someone else's shoes!

Background;
games and pranks are part of the 2008 TDA tour.
from tent door zippers being mysteriously zip tied shut in the night, to mysterious panties turning up in certain peoples bags, pranks are part of the tour.
Was I a victim of chance or willful "dirty tricks"? Perhaps i will never know...

The weather was sunny and warm, the road smooth, mildly undulating, welcoming. All in all, a perfect day for cycling and racing Zambia. We riders quickly consumed our breakfasts, packed up our tents,& made final preparations for the days race stage & ride.

My bike was set. I was feeling strong, confident on having a good performance on the day. All that was left to do was to trade my camp shoes for cycling shoes & head for the start line with my fellow racers. I reached for my cycling shoes, which I always left in the truck. Much to my dismay, there was only one shoe, where there had been 2 the day before.

A frantic search of the truck proved fruitless and yielded no second shoe. I was desperate! My fellow racers and expedition riders were by then all on the road, beginning the day's 175kilometer ride. Meanwhile, I was stuck at the truck with only one shoe! In the quick, efficient manner that is his nature, Duncan, the TDA tour leader, magically produced a pair of cycling shoes that looked like they just might work. they were a couple of sizes too small, but just fit when put on with no socks.

In a flash, I was set, on the road, & pedalling in the fastest, most efficient manner possible. Like a caged animal set loose, it felt great to be free, out on the road again. Before long i started passing fellow tour riders. When one starts from the very back, the motivation to do well is very strong. I used this motivation to keep my spirits and speed up throughout the day. No problem- i thought. Even though I was not part of the energy saving peloton, I knew I could perform well.

The days ride was like an individual 175 kilometer time trial. This in turn , was similar to the cycling stage of an iron man triathlon, something I was quite familiar with. Much to my surprise & pleasure, the cycling shoes worked. at the conclusion of the day's stage, I had only lost 4 minutes to the top 2 riders, and finished in a solid 3rd place. Not bad for a 175 kilometer in someone Else's' shoes!

As for the missing shoe... it turned up later, jammed behind some peoples red boxes on the bottom shelf. Weather it ended up there by accident or by the the hand of a fellow rider/racer trying to raise havoc or get me off my game is unclear.. either scenario is possible..

Despite my initial problems, it was fun and challenging riding and racing in someone Else's shoes!
The adrenaline was coursing through my veins.
Another day in the life of the 2008 TDA.

Chris Wille in Livingstone, Victoria Falls , Zambia.