Dead2Red Cycling Race 2021

After a sleepless night we started at 3.00 o'clock in the morning. We were all ready and everything in the cars and off we went for the hour drive to the race start. There was not much talking and I tried to enjoy the silence. 

On site we put our race numbers on the bike and our jerseys and waited for the race to start. 

But one thing after the other. Sean knew that I didn't want to go all out, as I had been rather limited on the road bike in the last few months for health reasons and especially had not ridden any longer distances. 

So we had talked about riding as a team and what was possible for me to finish since he knew my numbers ( watts and heart rate ) better than I did. I went to the start with the thought that it would be nice to finish with an average speed of around 30km/h something that I knew I was really comfortable with doing. 

Then it was time. We waited until everyone had started and then started a few minutes later. It was still dark and I was slightly nervous, because it quickly became obvious the biggest enemy on this day could be the road, the pot holes and cracks in the road were a challenge on their own, especially when you drove in the slipstream. This made slipstreaming hard as you weren’t always assured that the rider in front of you would let you know in time that there was a obstacle ahead. But to see the sunrise was unique and I took a moment to enjoy the scenery.

The first 10 kilometers passed and we caught up with most of the riders until we caught up with the first group. The group was very restless it was stop and go, everyone wanted to show what they could do. In addition, there were the street dogs that kept running into the road, which was unnerving the field became even more unsettled. Having never raced before, I wasn't used to it and I was increasingly stressed. 

Then Sean decided to go at the front. Since I wanted to ride on his back wheel I had no choice than to ride with him in front and my numbers were way above where they should be. So the hectic riding continued for the next few kilometers. The peloton pulled apart with the next attack and came back together.

At kilometer 30 I had enough and decided to let the guys make their game and let them go. I knew I couldn't do that for 200 kilometers and I didn't want to. So I adjusted myself to ride alone through the desert instead of in the team. On the next climb I caught up with a few riders from the first group, but decided to ride at my own pace and not look at the others. I wanted to get to the finish, that was my goal. 

So after riding alone for the next kilometers, I then saw Sean and Stefano again. Sean's handlebars had broken, they snapped at the bend where the brake lever is attached, and he couldn't continue riding in the group. And so we continued to ride together. We slowed down a bit, filled up our bottles and even had time to take some pictures and both guys had a separate a pee stop. 

It didn't take too long and we had caught up with the first group again but we decided not to catch up and rode on together. 

Because of the attacks in the first group, which were erratic and at times somewhat dangerous because they switched wheels suddenly. We kept one steady pace and watched the lead group go off into the distance and later we would catch them again. This scenario happened several times.

Around kilometer 130 I definitely felt better and we started to overtake the individuals from the group. It was interesting to see that they were no longer able to stay on our back wheel. So we caught up with more and more riders. 

Thus we drove the remaining kilometers further again and again a little faster or slower. The only moment I wasn't on the bike was when I hit one of the many pot holes really hard and the chain fell off the crank. 

I was so relieved when the traffic circle came where it went right, because I knew the end wasn't that far. I didn't think it was possible that I would finish the race like that. I had no idea what our average speed was, because I decided pretty quickly I'd better hide my numbers, because they were driving me crazy. 

So after 198 kilometers and over 1000 meters of altitude nonstop in the saddle we crossed the finish line after 5 hours and 32minutes with an average speed of around 36km/h. This made me the fastest woman that day, and to my amazement I beat some of the elite men. It was so unrealistic for me and I could not hold back a few tears of joy. 

It was an unforgettable day in the desert. It is very special to drive through the desert and see camels and donkeys.

A big thank you to everyone who made this day unforgettable.

I am already looking forward to the event in 2022!

Here the link for my ride on Strava: Dead to Read Sea Cycling Race 2021