DAY 23 – Separ camp to Port of Antelope Wells (82miles)

Thinking 'it's all about the journey, not the destination', I give up trying to sleep at 3:30 and am on the trail by 4am. I see a lot of wildlife in my light beam including some big spiders I assume are tarantulas. Separ is just a lorry park with a railway line passing through and offers nothing. Seems I was lucky to camp so far out of here as noisy freight trains are constantly pass through. I reach the final pavement stretch at 6am just before sunrise and see the first sign for Antelope Wells - 65 miles. This is it, the ‘home straight’ to the finish line. That flat pavement bit that doesn’t even count.

I get my head down and as the sun rises crank ‘em out as fast as I can. I hope a headwind doesn’t pick up and push me into 22days. For the first time in the race every minute seems to count. Also for the first time on the trip I’ve got too much water and ditch a few litres in Hachita while I have a food and clothing stop. I also have plenty of food for a change too.

I can’t help but keep looking behind me on this flat and fairly straight road, maybe for Bruce, or maybe another rider. I’m laughing about it but can’t stop myself from doing it, despite knowing there is going to be nobody there. Maybe 40 miles out I see a shuttle heading north and figure Alex must be on it and I’m gutted it doesn’t stop for a ten second ‘hello’. I’d followed his tyre tracks for 2400 miles and wanted to congratulate him on such a race, out there on his own for so long.

The miles pass effortlessly and I’m really enjoying the wildlife, weather and terrain. The place is alive with rabbits, roadrunners, eagles, snakes and many other critters. Then I see it, some aerials and slight greenery that signal the Port of Antelope Wells about four miles away. I can walk it from here no worries so I celebrate my completing the GDR here with a few words to myself and a cheer, so I’m over it all when I get there. I reach the border at 10am and have no idea what happens now. Is there an official line on what I'm supposed to do? Fortunately Tim, a border guard, knows about the race and offers me a phone, and then kindly gives me an ice cream. I call MTBcast to announce my finish, and as ever when I hear the beep my mind goes blank and leave what must be the shortest GDR message ever. I’ve come in 4th in 21 days 22 hours. My trip computer registers a total of 2,794miles since Banff, covered in a few minutes under 25 days.