What to pack?
I was going to write on the blog on Wednesday night about the dilemma of packing for unknown climes. I was going to ponder about it because I had to pack for a six-day stage race in Saudi Arabia. I’ve never been and didn’t really know what to expect. Would it be sunny and hot? Hot and humid? Hot days, cold nights?
Pack for sunny weather and high altitude. I hadn’t realised we’d be at 2,200m
As it is, all that pondering would have been moot. KLM managed to lose my bag between Manchester and Paris, so I ended up in Saudi with a bike , helmet and hydration pack. And camera bag too. So I’m going to be racing in a pair of borrowed shorts, a gifted top and the race organiser’s own shoes. Never mind, it’ll add to the story I’m sure.
85 racers, seven nations and about ten organising staff (plus loads of local help). We’re well looked after…
The Abha Trophy looks like being a great event, organised by the kind of wiry Frenchmen who will happily climb, kayak and mountain bike in the same day, all while chatting cheerfully in three languages to anyone who’ll listen. There have been a great many bike disasters already in assembly - my seat QR bolt disappeared, another guy’s rear shock valve snapped on first use, someone snapped a chain in the car park… Fortunately there are three big boxes of spares and a couple of emergency spare bikes.
I’ll post more pics when I get a moment, though I’m reliant on other people’s generosity for things like power adaptors and battery chargers… Tomorrow is the first day of the event. ‘Only’ about 53km, but I neglected to notice before getting here that we start at 2,200m… eek!