I’m sitting in the same room as Pete Bassinger, Mike Curiak and Matt Lee. I’m in awe of these real GDR racers and when Matt sits down next to me I can think of nothing to say that won’t sound stupid. Pete runs through the rules of the race with us and he and Mike answer any questions. It brings things home to me about the level of these guys when Pete talks about the 25 day cut off. I think his words were, 'That's only a 95 mile a day minium, which you can easily do by mid-afternoon'.
From Café Jax it’s an 8 mile warm up ride to the Rooseville border. I don't know where the official start line is, but everyone has congregated outside the First Chance Last Chance Bar. Joe Polk of MTBcast and Aaron Teasdale of Adventure Cycling are there taking a few photos and interviewing people. I start to feel less out of my depth now, and notice Josh has a very ‘I’m over it’ look about him too. I already have 240 miles on the trip computer and we in the GDR zone. I call my parents to tell them not to expect to hear from me during the race. Bruce, Matt and I wish each other good luck as we have no idea if we will see each other after the start. At 11:45 twenty-five racers move into an organised line up on some soft cut grass alongside the border-crossing building.
DAY 1 - 15th June – Rooseville to Whitefish (101.4miles)
Joe Polk reads out the racers names on the roster to check who is actually racing, and after a few brief words from Mike Curiak, at 12:00 he signals the start. I anticipate the usual race start chaos that I don’t want to get caught up and set off at my own steady pace.
Within 0.2miles Bruce is off the front. At 0.3miles Bruce misses the first turn and is off down the main highway to Eureka. Somebody kindly shouts loud enough for him to hear and he spins around to see everyone turning right. This was to become a familiar occurrence for the rest of the race, and became known to me as Bruce’s morning classic.
Eight miles in I need to pee and adjust clothing layers, so pull over just before the route turns back onto the main road near Eureka. Josh pulls in as well. We have a very casual five minutes making adjustments and head on, laughing together as we can’t even see another rider now and are already most definitely last.
Happy at the back Josh and I press on riding our own race, immune to the adrenaline and testosterone fuelled fresh legs ahead. As the day progresses we soon catch back up to other riders and I’m able to chat a little to other racers as we share the trail for a few minutes. Leapfrogging every now and again as people take breaks at different times. Eventually Josh and I find Bruce and Matt getting water from a creek and continue riding together. We then meet Aaron Teasdale of ACA out on the route taking pictures of the riders for the 2007 rogues’ gallery.
On the main road into Whitefish I get my first puncture and watch the guys disappear. I’d hit something on the shoulder in the dark so know it’s a cut and replace the tube fast. I chase on and see the guys stopped at a store on the outskirts of town and we grab supplies and continue into town.
Outside a bar in town there are a line of 29ers parked up so we head in to join the other racers. We’re just in time to order some food. Some racers are having a beer, and Kevin is asleep. The music is playing, people are having a good time, and I feel the dark side calling me. I make the right choice and leave with Josh, Matt and Bruce back onto the route to find a camp spot. We’ve made camp a mile or so outside town before we realise we’re next to the railroad, and it’s going to be working all night loudly shifting freight wagons. I don’t get much sleep.
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