BADLANDS 2023 - CRAZIEST THING I EVER DONE

At 7:30 on a Sunday, Johnny and I gathered in Granada's Plaza Rotary. Although not a race of full-throttle acceleration, there was a palpable tension. The police led the way through Granada's bustling streets, guiding us to the Sacromonte Abbey, threading through the city's traffic.The initial kilometers indicate us the day's weather – cold and rainy. Unpredicted during our preparations, we were already warned about unfavorable weather conditions in the briefing the day before. It wasn't until Beas de Guadix that it poured for 5 minutes, leaving us soaked to the bone.
We took a break in Gorafe for lunch, seeking refuge and warmth before entering the Gorafe desert. Thankfully, the rain stopped, and the sun remained elusive, providing ideal cycling conditions. We rode through foggy and windy gravel roads, breaking for a quick meal in Hinojares as night fell. Equipped with our lights, we began the ascent towards Gor.By the time we reached Gor at 11 PM, uncertainty loomed – with 85 km and nearly 2,000 meters of elevation gain still ahead, we were not ready to sleep outdoors in that cold so we decided to sleep at Gor. Having already covered 255 km with a cumulative elevation gain exceeding 7,000 meters.At 5:30 AM, we resumed pedalling in the darkness and biting cold. Although the day was breaking, the sun remained hidden. The temperature dropped further as we ascended, we reached the route's highest point of 2,400 meters at 9:00. The descent towards Gergal brought relief from the cold, and we gradually welcomed the warmth and the sun.A brief stop for breakfast in Gergal marked the beginning of the journey to Cabo de Gata. We rode mostly flat and downhill terrain, a relief for our sore legs. The rising heat in the Tabernas region contrasted sharply with the earlier cold up in Sierra de Baza, with temperatures hitting 38 degrees Celsius.During the day we decided with Johnny that we won't sleep that night and try to pedal as much as we could. We dined in Rodalquilar and left the restaurant around 11 PM, embarking on a route that led us to Vela Blanca, a small climb we had to cross before crossing the salt flats and reaching Almería. Although we anticipated a 30km flat part, we encountered sandy beach segments that demanded extra effort. Moments of pushing our bikes on foot became more frequent. The discomfort in my knee intensified, eventually turning into pain.
After reaching Almería at 3 AM, the quest for a 24-hour pharmacy began. I needed an anti-inflammatory to continue the journey. We found it and we took a break to eat and rest for 15 minutes.Departing Almería, what initially seemed like a regular uphill climb on the map revealed itself as a challenging ascent, a climb that I will always remember. 16 km with a 750-meter elevation gain took nearly 3 hours to conquer. Loose rocks on the trail made it technically and physically demanding.Arriving in Enix at 6 AM, our exhaustion was overwhelming. We were roasted after 26h of pedalling and decided to rest for an hour was made. When we woke up, I could feel more pain in my knee.Daylight had broken, and after breakfast in Enix, we faced a daunting 24km uphill, culminating at the Pico Morro del Feo at 1,441 meters. The pain in my knee intensified with each pedal stroke, but I persisted. Finally, just a few km short of Fondón, the pain overcame me, forcing my withdrawal. There was only 113km left but it was a hard climb part, so I knew my knee couldn't go through it.I spoke with Johnny, encouraging him to continue. He kept going, reaching the finish line in Capileira around 10 PM. His slower pace was an evidence to the immense challenges he faced, including the need to stop multiple times to eat and recover.While my personal journey had ended, the story of our long-distance race remains a tale of consistent determination and valor, a battle against the body, the forces of nature and adversity. It is a challenge that I am sure we will always remember. I was sure I won't ever say that, but I will come back next year, I have to finish it!