Cycling Tour d'Afrique 2019: 19/05/09, stage 81, Garies to Strandfontein

Looking at the map you would say that after all the distances we’ve already cycled, the last bit should not be to hard anymore. However, it is. TDA just keeps the hard days comming. We rode a 162k ride today over undulating terrain, 1500 meters of climbing, predominantly a head wind and 30k over sandy dirt road. Whoever thinks that the last few days on the Tour d’Afrique are easy days, is very much mistaken...

All this time I’ve taken the tour step by step. One day at a time. And every single day has been a challenge. And even now we’re reaching the end, the remaining days are still individual challenges. Our 162k ride today was a challenge, but with these winds tomorrow’s 109k ride will be a challenge just the same. And everytime I dare think that a day is going to be easy, I end up disappointed.

So three more challenges ahead. It’s still worth taking them on though. Riding onto the ocean today was just magnificent and reaching a beautifull camp like today’s just feels so much better when you’ve worked for it. These kind of incentives keep me going. And I just came too far to start quiting on the remaining challenges ahead now.... 330k left!