Stage 6 was a scorcher! 189 km under blistering heat really got many of the riders dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. The 48 degrees Celscius heat and road conditions were absolutely brutal. The sun and the dust were relentless! Even for the crews that were making their way to the next stop it was difficult to deal with the heat, for the riders it was overwhelming.
TCBV crew tried at all costs to keep our riders hydrated and cool, but the day’s conditions finally got to Patrick. He hadn’t been feeling 100% and the heat took a toll on him. After 10 hours of riding under the sun he felt really sick and nauseated. With the help of the race support ATVs medical personel was activated and Patrick was rushed to the camp and kept under observation, while Carlos and Andrew finished the stage.
The Crocodile Trophy longest stage was also plagged with disaster. 3 race trucks got lost on their way to the depots (water stops) and ended up getting to their destinations late or not at all, causing many riders to keep going without the fluids and nutrition they needed. That caused the riders to really feel the heat and many ended up not finishing the stage. The “kitchen” truck was lost for hours in the desert and there was no dinner ready for the riders until 8 pm. The campsite had no infrastructure whatsoever. The only water available for washing was from a creek ¼ mile down hill where Allen, Joana and Suzy filled buckets with water so the “boys” could wash up when they got there.
The day was long for everyone, but all the racers took a beating. Patrick will be monitored overnight and we’ll regroup in the morning.
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