3 happy finishers of Trans Hajar happily posed before the start
Last MTB ride was in Nahda 3. We had 9 riders (Biagio, Lorretta, Paul , Frans, Chris, Tim, Alex, Peter, Shukri) + 1 support vehicle (Bob).
Temperature already started to rise. Forecast showed 30 dgr and we certainly felt it. Hopefully during our race next week it will still hold. We started on graded road winding between jebels, till we came to wide open wadi. Here we picked up cute baa-ing goat kid which followed us for a while. As we paid more attention to kid we almost fell to deep eroded hole.
We passed dry wadi and construction camp close to Quryat highway. We found our way thru (even I have to admit that I did not remember the route) just to be stopped on next ridge with 4m drop. But we found our way around. Unfortunately graded road going below mountains are now wide black top, so for while we changed to roadies. Then we picked graded road and started to turn back. Few small hills torn the group with Alex with Peter racing forward, but we regrouped regularly.
In this moment Joe had flat tire, so Bob took him ahead to alf-a-naana stop, good timing just in the middle of ride. Till now we were riding with wind, sun was baking us, so relax in shade was more then welcome.
While group relaxed and Chris was fixing his flat I tried nearby jebel – almost castrated myself in progress.
We were again on twisty graded path, but it was (probably due to rain few weeks back) quite rough as I do not remember it in such a state. However we did good progress. I took some bad turn so we ended walking in the wadi, but soon we picked usual track. We finished in excelent time – around 17:00, well paced ride. Good achievement, thanks Bob for car support (and for water – this is 1st time this year I ran out of water so it must be sign of heat coming).
Hopefully to see u all next week on our usual race. It will be nice and hot! ;)
More pics from Shukri (thanks) clicke here Some more pics from me will be uploaded (after 4) on flicker