The flight to Istanbul from Damascus took exactly 1 hour 30 minutes. A bat of an eyelid compared to the 11 days it took us to cycle the same distance. This year’s Lifecycle Challenge saw 18 cyclists cover 2000kms in what was, as the Committee put it, one of the toughest challenges ever.
Being my first experience as a Lifecyclist, I didn’t really know what I was going to face, even though friends of mine, who took part in previous editions of the Challenge, warned me that this was going to be tough!.
This year’s Challenge, started on Saturday 7th August at 7am and saw us crossing the Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul. An extremely special event as cycling is not allowed on this Bridge. Supported by the Maltese Consul and a Police escort we took off, battling heavy rainfall that was to see us through most of the day.
As the Challenge progressed we battled strong winds and faced extreme temperatures which rose up to approximate 43 degrees. Fatigue set in as day after day we cycled for long hours, up steep and never ending inclines. The roads were considerably in a better state than ours, but the tarmac grip was a nightmare as it made us have to cycle hard even in the downhills.
Turkish hospitality was amazing. I must admit I had some reservations about cycling in Turkey but I was proven so wrong. Although cycling is not a widely practiced sport there, drivers showed us great respect, keeping their distance and ensuring our safety. At times we were even escorted by traffic police who were friendly and happy to help whenever we had a puncture – and that was quite often. A perfect example of such hospitality was the time a police officer offered me an apple, which is not exactly the easiest thing to eat on a bicycle. Having politely refused his offer, he came back a few minutes later, with the apple neatly cut in small pieces. To ensure that I eat all the apple without risking falling off, the officer passed on the small pieces, patiently waiting for me to eat each piece slowly whilst cycling.
Although neighboring countries, Syria was so different to Turkey. As we started approaching the Syrian border, the temperatures started soaring, reaching the 46 degree mark in some instances, making it a nightmare for the backup team to ensure that we had a steady supply of cold water. The traffic in Syria was chaotic, a case of survival of the fittest, having to swerve away from vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road or turning off a junction completely ignoring us. Syrian drivers tend to ignore warnings from traffic police – so imagine the chaos. That we survived Syrian traffic without injury is a miracle.
Apart from all this, I also had to contend with some injuries to my knees and ankle – the latter being the most serious. Although I was injected with pain killers and anti-inflammatory I was warned by the doctor that there was a possibility I might have to stop if the injury got worse. Not something I wanted to hear after all those weeks of training and sacrifice. Luckily the pain subsided and I was able to continue and successfully complete the Challenge finishing in Damascus at 3pm on Tuesday 18th August.
We were lucky to be supported by a fantastic backup team who were there all the time to provide us with all the support we needed. They had their fair share of hassles, some of which I am sure we were and never will be aware of. Edward Mercieca's arrest for spying was something that had all the team worried, and thankfully the ordeal, which lasted nine hours, ended happily, with Edward giving a colourful version of the account once he was back, safely, in our midst. My fears relating to food or the lack of it, were unnecessary as the cooking team were fantastic – dishing up varied, nutritious meals in all the places we went to, even when facilities were not so great. The medical team providing us with all that was necessary even in the remotest of places and the rest of the team who provided us with a laugh and a hug when they were most needed!
The success in completing this Challenge has sort of sunk in now. I did feel lost when it was over. A sensation I never thought I'd have. People have asked me whether I would take part again. Before leaving for Lifecycle the answer was a clear and definite No. But now, a month later.....……who knows!
If you want to know more about this year's edition visit - http://betfairlifecycle2009.blogspot.com/ for a day to day account of my participation in the Lifecycle Challenge!
