The day before race day

This morning kicked off with race briefing, which gave an overview of the course and event logistics. It's an interesting one. Journo Chris has a good piece up on the ADAC website (http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/) about the course direction change and how it influences the race, in particular the desert trekking section where we go 'into' the dunes, approaching from the slippery, loose sand side and not the firmer back as before (the article is all something like a twist in the tale).

Our scheduled time for kit check was 11h30 and we progressed really swiftly until the bottle-neck at the medical kit check. Must have waited for an hour there. Anyway, went well and we used the afternoon to pack our crates and drop bags for the prologue/bike transition in Al Ain tomorrow afternoon.

With that done, we headed for the welcoming function for 17h30. Nice opportunity to stand around and chat. I got called up on stage to answer a question or two about our 'girls' team - it is certainly a point of interest. We've seen the Russian 'girls' team - they're bigger than us...

Dinner was delicious, as always, and then it was back to our rooms. We're all packed and ready for the morning. It will be an early one. We're up at about 04h30 and then to load crates and get breakfast between 05h00 and 06h00. Then we're off in buses to the Abu Dhabi waterfront (Corniche) for the prologue. Start is at 08h00 (06h00 SA time).

Not quite sure how I'm feeling. Not nervous, but definitely excited now for the race to start. Tomorrow's prologue will be fast and furious but it will also be quite fun, especially with the addition of the inflatable canoes (we only get the sea kayaks for the big stage on day 5 and 6). They say the canoes are like paddling a jumping castle. The prologue starts with everyone running down the beach to the canoes for a triangle around two buoys... it's going to be bumper bashing the whole way! It will open up for the 3-4km paddle to Lulu Island a bit later on (we then run on the island and paddle back to the beach to finish the prologue).

Some pics below. I probably won't be able to post pics during the race. Data component on the local SIM card isn't working... dunno why. But, I'll be sending text reports as far as possible.

Nite-nite.

The inflatable canoe. We get two - two people in each. Our strategy is to go like hell.

Returning from kit check - kit everywhere. All now packed into bags and crates.

On stage with Richard Ussher - three time winner of ADAC (probably the only opportunity I'll get to share he stage with him!) Hahahaha

Three South African teams! Cyanosis, http://www.ar.co.za/ and Mzansi with local dudes from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Our Award entry is from ADTA.