Apologies for lack of comms over the last couple of days, we’ve been crossing some very remote desert areas! We’ve gone through Arizona, Utah before starting our long stretch through Colorado.
youtube clip update from 1st day below
[youtube QsCDNedh2wk]
The team have done an incredible 800 miles since we started just under 48 hours ago. Our average speed is 16.8mph which is over our 15.7mph target and that’s despite temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius and some cheeky inclines! The general consensus from most of the riders and support crew that know, is that the current terrain and heat is just like being back in Afghanistan. It’s prompted many stories of what they did whilst they were out there and our riders experiences of being injured. It’s pretty incredible to hear about their modest bravery, the things they’ve been through and now to witness them competing in the world’s toughest cycle race, something many of them wouldn’t have even dreamed of attempting before they were injured.
The upright cyclists have been making light work of the uphill’s and the hand cyclists are smashing the downhill sections – getting up to speeds of over 50mph, even the follow vehicle was struggling to keep up on some parts! There’s a bit of quiet competition going on between the hand bikers to see who can get the fastest speeds.
After this current pit stop we’re due to hit the Rockies where the team are really going to need to push on through to get up the climbs they are about to face.
More films have gone up on Youtube, you can view them here – http://www.youtube.com/user/battlebackraam2012?feature=results_main
Thank you all for your involvement in getting the team this far and what you’re doing back home to support them. It means so much to everyone. Speaking to Steve Arnold, one of the hand cyclists who lost both of his legs in an IED explosion, about what he would say about the support he said: “Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough – the support we’re getting now is amazing. I would just like to say keep all the messages of support coming through as it will keep us going – feel free to give us some encouragement and some banter!”
