Funny how memories can be triggered by the most random thing.
I was recently looking at some old email and came across this one from the organizer of the TransPortugal mountain bike race that was sent to me in April of 2005.
So you are a great Mountain Bike racer, you've won podium places in the races you've gone to, or you have been a finisher in the most demanding and outrageous races in the world. You´ve been everywhere and you've done all that with the caring help of your support team and the "provide it all" Race Organizations.
Now, suppose that you have to do it all on your own, in a race where support is not allowed, there are no aid stations along the race track, you race in complete isolation through the most remote country side, alone and following an unmarked trail, no arrows or ribbons.
Just how good a racer are you then?
You will find this challenge in Portugal next June. A different endurance race where your toughness is put to the test in 11 racing days along 1200 kms. But the Transportugal is mostly the race where you challenge your limits. The terrain adversities are numerous but the main adversity is heat.
How good a racer are you when the variables you have to deal with appeal to your best planning ability and adaptability is your wining edge?
How good a racer are you in a race where your younger age and gender is levelled out with the rest of the field, and you can be beaten by an old man or a woman?
Put yourself to the test, come and race in Portugal next summer. See it all in www.supertravessia.comBest regards
ANTONIO MALVAR
CICLONATUR DESPORTOS LDA. Rua Manuel Teixeira Gomes, 15 H
2795 - 540 CARNAXIDE, PORTUGAL Tel: +351214170907
In retrospect I'm not even sure why I got this email. But boy did it plant the seed. And in 2007 I ended up participating in the race. Ah memories…
Oh yeah, everything Antonio claimed about the race was true. The night before each stage they would upload the following days' route to your GPS and then the next morning they simply said, "Go…!" See you at the finish. You had to follow the route or get lost. Competitors were handicapped by age meaning the older you were the bigger your head start was.
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