Monday, March 3, 2008

Ethiopia; cycling paradise, at a price.....

Much to everyone's surprise, cycling in Ethiopia on the 2008 tour dafrique has been breathtakingly beautiful, physically challenging, and, all in all very rewarding.We have cycled for days on smooth, good paved countryside & mountain roads at an elevation of 2000 to 3,100 meters. There are long uphill climbs,rolling hills, and raw, superfast, twisting descents, littered with wrecked vehicles that missed the hairpin turns. On such descents, it is not uncommon for us to reach (controlled) speeds of 80 to 100kph.

Warm,sunny skies welcome us each day, yet at this altitude, nights are cool, which is good for sleeping. All this 'cycling in paradise' does, however,come at a price...There are 75 milion people in Ethiopia, and about 45 million are children under the age of 10!
On the 2008 tour dafrique, in Ethiopia, our intrepid group has been; shouted/yelled at, almost constantly asked for money, stoned, whipped in the butt with sticks, leaving painfull welts,
peed on, fondled, robbed, bullied, taunted, laughed at, and generally made to feel ill at ease. Most every rider has had many unavoidable near misses with cows, donkeys, goats, sheep, & people, who stand in the middle of the road in small towns, seeming totally oblivious to the traffic on the road.They cross the street at will, never looking up to see if it is safe to cross. Stray animals on the road (very common), often mixed in with the people, add significantly to the risk of a crash at any second. All this kaos makes for a very nervous time as we cycle through the many small towns and villages in rural ethiopia. Even at the front of the pack, we racers are like magnets as we traverse the countrysides. The kids come seemingly out of nowhere, race to the roadside as we zipp past, and shout; you! you! you!, Give me money!!! or you! you! you! where are you go? at first its fun, but the novelty quickly wears off after the 700th kid, and you're only an hour into your days ride. The slower riders at the back of the pack have it the worst, as they cannot cycle faster than the kids can run, so the harrasment goes on and on..

Each of us has a big target on us called 'opportunity'. Many of the children & people we pass each day cheer, wave, and are excited and happy to see us. Even the most jaded of us have a soft spot in our hearts, and fond memories of the very cute, super excited young children that greet us excitedly with a big smile and a wave. Ultimatly, those are the memories that will prevail. As one fellow cyclist put it "they (the kids) can't come to the rest of the world, so that's their way of making sure they are noticed when the world comes to them."They are just looking for some aknowledgement, a hello, a wave, a greeting- some connection with you, and through you, to the outside world." Prehaps this rider was correct- she rarely ever got stoned or hassled...

Ethiopa is a cycling paradise. If you go, however, be prepared! all this cycling fun & beauty comes at a price. Those willing to pay the price reap the greatest rewards while cycling in Ethiopia.
Enjoy! Chris Wille on the 2008 tda


Meet the 'Wolf Pack'

With precision and grace, the 'Wolf Pack" approaches their next unsuspecting victim. "Good Morning" they say as they wizz past, in a blurr, pressing ever onward, in search of their next victim, and ultimatly, the front of the pack, the open road, and the finish line.

Respectfully given the name by a 2008 tda expedition rider, the 'Wolf Pack" is made up of 5 strong riders, all competing in the racing category of the 08 tda. Acroos Egypt & Sudan, we always started last in our 62 rider group.Through an efficient pace line riding, we share the work of leading, which keeps the group's overall speed high. It was just a matter of time before we zipped past the other riders each day. The others never knew exactly when we were comming, they just knew we would come.

Cycling within the wolfpack has been fast & fun. We all found our cycling much improved after traversing 2 countries and sharing the workload. Yes it was fun passing the other riders each day. It is also nice to work our way through the day's ride quickly, so we can relax, set up camp, and enjoy our new surroundings as much as possible, before the next day's ride.

Unluckily, one wolfpack member, Janet Alexander, has just left us at the end of the Ethiopian section. Best Wishes, Janet!, nice riding with you.!

The Wolf Pack.

Wolf Pack members; Jos kaal, Bernd Prorok, Chris Wille, Bent Nielsen, Janet Alexander.