Living the Dos Sertoes Dream: Racing 4,500km across Brazil

[Trooper]

Great Reading with amazing pic's well done

 

[BlueBull2007]

Neil - before this event (and I assume you have never been self pushed like this before) did you ever think this is how you would react / cope with this type of situation?

Mike, frankly no. Even though I consider myself a go-getter I have to say the big man upstairs helped me through this rally big time. Its hard for me exclude this stuff it even though I'm hardly the poster boy for it and I know R&P stuff is offensive to many, many think its nonsense. Thats okay, but this is really what happened and I need to be true to the story. After all it is my experience and how i see things. Writing this has been almost as difficult as the rally itself, especially the last couple of posts.

You know, I thought I had my head screwed on straight going into this rally. I was super fit, mentally prepared, ultra confident the lot. But from the very first day all that confidence had completely evaporated. I'm not used to operating under these conditions. It was a whole new adjustment, that I can do nothing on my own. But everyday brought new problems that took the wind out of my sails and  I nearly lost the plot completely every time. By Stage 9 I was kinda getting used to it and learning about real faith in the face of adversity all over again, and then disaster struck. I was back to square one in the faith department. Not in God Himself, but in myself, in the fact that He was with me despite everything; He has given us the ability to overcome the impossible. You will see, it does not get any easier.

Looking back on it, what I should have done was just give the whole thing over to God in the first place, this is how i have been succesful in life. But I did'nt and so the burden remained on me. It was a learning experience I will never forget, my life has changed and I am ready for bigger things going forward now.

 

[BlueBull2007]

Here is a comment left by my co-rider Phil in the ADVrider thread, I x-posted it here, seeing this is the "main" thread.

Great report Neil!!  :clap

Thanks for taking the time to put "pen to paper"!

Your vivid descriptions of the emotional roller coaster are spot-on.
The description of the abject mental state you experienced after smashing the foot.....especially not wanting to disappoint your fans at home.
My mind-set was the exact same after smashing my thumb on day 3 or 4.
PissyPissyPissy....:rofl

Phil you were awesome man. That thumb was pretty bad. I remember you very anguished look at the end of the stage when it came out and how it wouldn't work the e-starter. I felt for you big-time, brother. Pissies will never be heros. :lol3 [/COLOR]

The water-crossing drama is a lot of fun to re-experience through your words and pictures. The Zanoli cat was (way)rad to ride thru that sort of widish, boulder infested watercourse :huh
I distinctly remember riding up to the bank of that river, immediately hopping off the bike, thinking their was no way in hell that I would attempt to ride this one, not after my submarine fun a few days prior.

Yeah me too, actually I forgot about the river on stage seven and I really had to slam on anchors or I would have gone straight in at pace! I think thats what may have happened to Zanoli cat. The difference is he's a legend.

The 2 ladies, Moara and ??? were both incredible. Moara told me this was her 11th Dos Sertoes :bow

Moara Sacilotti, the other one's name was Marieta Rodriguez Lopez Moraes, both rode WR450's, and both are Dos Sertoes veterans. I never knew Moara did it 11 times!! I know this was Marieta's 8th time. :gdog

Against this we seriously look like pissies.

Here is Marieta, remember she was the nutcase who rode around with a baby's doll stuck to her front fender.  I have some more pics of her, will post them in the RR.

 

[Baches]

Hierdie RR is soos goeie rooi wyn. Kan net nie ophou lees nie. BB jy is 'n yster. Jy doen wat ons ander net droom om te doen.  :thumleft:

 

[Sandban(g)k]

BB this testimonial is absolutely extraordinary, glad we can learn from you, as the same goes for everyday life...

Respect :thumleft: daar is min ouens wat die "ghoons" het om Hom die eer te gee vir jou eie prestasie :thumleft:

 

[Bernoulli]

Neil - before this event (and I assume you have never been self pushed like this before) did you ever think this is how you would react / cope with this type of situation?

Mike, frankly no. Even though I consider myself a go-getter I have to say the big man upstairs helped me through this rally big time. Its hard for me exclude this stuff it even though I'm hardly the poster boy for it and I know R&P stuff is offensive to many, many think its nonsense. Thats okay, but this is really what happened and I need to be true to the story. After all it is my experience and how i see things. Writing this has been almost as difficult as the rally itself, especially the last couple of posts.

You know, I thought I had my head screwed on straight going into this rally. I was super fit, mentally prepared, ultra confident the lot. But from the very first day all that confidence had completely evaporated. I'm not used to operating under these conditions. It was a whole new adjustment, that I can do nothing on my own. But everyday brought new problems that took the wind out of my sails and  I nearly lost the plot completely every time. By Stage 9 I was kinda getting used to it and learning about real faith in the face of adversity all over again, and then disaster struck. I was back to square one in the faith department. Not in God Himself, but in myself, in the fact that He was with me despite everything; He has given us the ability to overcome the impossible. You will see, it does not get any easier.

Looking back on it, what I should have done was just give the whole thing over to God in the first place, this is how i have been succesful in life. But I did'nt and so the burden remained on me. It was a learning experience I will never forget, my life has changed and I am ready for bigger things going forward now.

BB - I have been promising myself to withhold the standing ovation untill the last episode, but after this post of yours it is no longer possible!

So here it is:

:hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:

I am in awe...

 

[BlueBull2007]

The liaison is not as bad as I thought, its half as far as yesterdays and I stop twice mostly to rehydrate.  I find that I can hobble about on my heel without it hurting too much. Tigheting my boot straps helps hold it in position and a lot of my weight is transgerred to the boot rather than directly to my foot.

I talk myself into the bivouac. I feel a sense of victory when I hand in my time card. I have completed the hardest day of the rally. There is a very warm welcome from the team. They have heard about what happened from Dave and Phil. I am told to sit down and drink, and they faff about me like caring mother hens. I lean back in my chair and think about the achievement. Despite all the drama of today I have made it to the end of the ninth stage. I wasn’t wiped out by any cars and the trucks were unable to catch me and crush me either. The finish is now only one day away, probably tomorrow this time in fact. I feel like I’m in a bit of a dream world. It’s hard to believe I am actually still in.

Time to look at the foot.

A photographer comes up and takes some snaps. I’m immensely happy, and I know that no matter what I find in this boot, I will be able to finish tomorrow, provided I don’t fall so I hold up a victory sign.

You can’t imagine my joy when I find my foot not a crushed blob of jelly, but only a somewhat swollen one. It’s undoubtedly broken, but the GS Boot I was wearing seems to have done an amazing job in protecting my foot. I notice my ankle is also not so lekker, but at least I can put my weight on my heel.

Some of the guys think I should go to the medical tent, but we are not in agreement. I’m concerned that they will find me unfit to continue the race something that often happens. Pissies will never be hero’s. I can go to the doctor tomorrow. One more day is not going to be a train smash. The problem is my foot is not rapidly swelling up. I shove it back into the boot with –It is not a pleasant task- and DD moves me over to the bivouac which we have setup some distance away from the bikes for a change. It’s in a park next to this little lake, very pleasant.

Randall organises some ice and I take my foot out and put it on some ice for a while, maybe that will reduce the swelling a bit.

Once that is sorted, we treat ourselves to our first beers in over two weeks. We feel we deserve it. Everyone is in a relaxed and happy mood. We look at each other and keep saying stuff like “Guys we are going to make it.”  Des stands up and give us one of his famous speeches. He is not easy to impress but he tell us he is serious impressed that the three of us have got this far and are still in. He looks at me and tells me I’m f*****g mad, tough son of a bitch. I just smile. I have one day to go.

He carefully makes notes of what need to be done on the bikes and goes over to them to talk to the mechanics.

We need to get to the briefing. Des & Phil tell me it’s okay, I don’t have to go, but I insist. I’m not out of the woods yet and what to hear first-hand what the course will be like tomorrow so I can mentally prepare. I’m limping into the Sobral gymnasium where it is being held and one of the FIM official comes up to me and asks me what’s up. ”Nothing,” I reply, hoping he will leave it at that. He may of course insist that I be examined. “I just fell and hurt my foot a bit, but’s okay now.”
“Really?”He says.
“Yes,” is my response. “Look here it works fine.” I hop on my heel twice and think about anything but the agony. He smiles at me knowingly and shaking his head, walks away. I bite my knuckles till they bleed but I know that he knows more than he is letting on, and is choosing to ignore it. It’s so cool that he did not get anal about it. Normally they are, they have to be, but I guess at this stage of the rally we are all friends anyway. He knows I want to finish.

I make my notes diligently and enjoy the preview video they show of Stage 7.

Then its back to the bivouac to get more ice and do my road book.

The swelling does not go down, so I forfeit my shower and stay dressed in my riding gear. I’m going to sleep with my boot on, because if I don’t the swelling will be too much to put it on in the morning.

The results for the day were obviously not great at all. I picked up a penalty for not finishing in the maximum time, and dropped from 30th to 37th overall. Though looking at the average speeds of the top guys you can see it was a pretty slow and technical stage.

 

[JAmBer]

Riviting stuff! I'm hooked and can't believe I've only just discovered this story now.

Thanks for sharing Neil!

Now where's the next part?  :blob7:

 

[BlueBull2007]

Working hard at it...  :lamer:

 

[BlueBull2007]

STAGE 10 - Sobral – Fortaleza

44km - Initial Liaison
107km – Special Stage
240km – Final Liaison

Total for the day 390km

I don’t sleep so well because of my foot, sleeping with one boot on is not very comfortable at all. Nevertheless it is the last day and all of us have a spring in our step. Well, if it wasn’t for my foot, I would be too. This is the last day!

The guys have washed and prepared the bikes. My mechanics tell me it’s amazing I got to the finish yesterday, my back wheel bearing was shot and I had been riding like that for a while. Didn’t I feel it? To be honest, I did not. Perhaps that may have had something to do with me swinging wide on the corners, I don’t know. Not that it matters now. Now I need to conserve energy, protect my foot and get to the finish. Arriving at the start of the liaison is a pleasant experience. The officials congratulate us wish us all the best for the last stage. There are smiles all round.

The initial liaison is a piece-of-cake ride on a tarred surface. Clearly we are getting closer to a big city, as there is also more traffic to deal with. The stage starts and is quite fast. I try standing on my heel and it works, thanks to a tightly strapped boot and lots of pain pills. My foot throbs quite a bit so I decide I will alternate and sit when I can, more so than usual.

Seeing it is quite fast, I give it horns while I can, figuring the faster I go the less I time I will have to suffer. The riding is really awesome, but I don’t appreciate it very much.

I just want to get to the finish now, and get the weight off this foot. Still I do manage to get myself back into the riding to some extent. Much more than yesterday anyway and more than I thought I would be able to. I  have the satisfaction of passing our fellow Uruguayan Mauro on his monster quad. it was not easy but I managed.

I’m still battling on the corners though surprisingly this time corners to the right! My foot is still pretty sore but it is generally behaving itself a little better then yesterday. There is still no-way I can use the rear brake through, but the lack of deep sand makes this a lot more doable, albeit a few places where I was pushing things a bit too hard and nearly cook my goose.

I keep warning myself to just take it easy and get to the finish, a crash now would be disaster. Just as well because I come around the corner and nearly take out a herd of cattle. Good thing my front brake is all fine! Pulling away I manage to slam my foot into a rock and I listen to myself hollering as a fresh bought of pain reminds me that my foot really is broken and not just a throbbing source of unpleasantness.

My friend Vincente “pronking”.

Of course, Come has no time for that. He just pushes all the way.

Looking a little worse for wear.

I arrive at the finish of the special and feel really tremendous! WAHOO!!!

I sit there at the finish line for a bit and just bask in the glory of it all. A couple of others arrive soon enough and we are all back- slapping and hugging one another like long lost friends.

My friend Fabricio arrives, his friends all waiting for him.

We are in fine spirits. The boys are raging. Fabricio Hugs me and says to me “YOU!! You are my f*****g hero man!!” I try to play it down, wincing as he pushes me off balance. “You finished this rally with a broken foot man! I never thought you were going to do it!” I blush and tell them they are hero’s because they helped me. He starts to tell the others in rapid, Gatling-gun Portuguese of my epic day yesterday. I’m a bit embarrassed.

We stop a couple of hundred metres further on and all drink beers. I finish mine fast and press on though. I have a broken foot and part of the final liaison includes a ride through the big dune fields leading to the beach. There is still 240km to go to the finish, and we need to do it all on our own bikes. So I’m by no means out of the woods yet not with the handicap anyway. I still see this liaison as part of the race, and indeed it is.

On the way to the dunes Phil and Dave catch up with me and we ride together as a group. It’s great to be finally riding in a group, the first time we have in fact since we met, months ago, and even then we did not ride all together. I lead the way into the dunes.

It’s beautiful white sand. The sky looks awesome. I feel confident, because I’m used to dune riding back home. The route takes us straight down a steep dune and in a moment of over-confidence I jump the bike on a dunette and go over the bars after digging in the front wheel. I land in the soft sand and roll, incurring no injury. My foot didn't even hurt! Laughing at my good fortune and scolding myself at the same time, I pick up the bike with a little difficulty and I jump on again. The others stop and when they see I am on and starting up, they ride off. I pull away in 2nd but I notice that I have almost no power, despite the fact that I am giving it full gas.

I am moving only very slowly, and I grind to a halt after perhaps ten metres. Even turning the bike downhill does not solve the problem. I try 1st gear. Nothing. The wheel is not turning in any damn gear. Oh no. No now. It must be my clutch. “Oh NOO,”I wail. Phil and Dave are disappearing over the horizon, they don’t turn back. I have managed to ride all of six hundred kilometres nursing my foot and now a mechanical problem stops me so close to the finish. Not my foot but a freaking mechanical! Another biker stops and asks what up. I tell him my clutch. He shrugs, says sorry, and rides off.

I wave down another rider, frantically. I want him to tow me but that would be impossible in this deep trough. Instead I ask him if he wouldn’t mind calling a 4x4 vehicle that I saw coming into the dunes. I’m hoping that somehow he can take me out to a point where I can get towed by another rider. I’m running out of time, there are not many riders left behind me. He agrees and disappears. While I wait I find myself decidedly anxious, and have a little pity party by myself. This is just about all I can bear. I have no energy left in me to think about the problem. I have no energy left to fight. Defeated, I slump down next to my bike. Well that’s it then. I have made it to the coast, but not to the finish. I’m gutted.

 

[JC]

the f5 button on my keyboard is getting worn out

I know how it ends, but still sitting on the edge of my seat. Great writing (and riding) BB

 

[faniesmith]

Niel, you have my utmost respect!

 

[Tr0jan]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

The suspense is killing me!  :eek7:

 

[Baches]

And .......................................................... can't wait.  :deal:

 

[MOGGIE]

Hey man. If this was a book I would have been rivveted to it througout the night. Great wrigting and photo's.
I nkow the pain you were having. I ended with a concrete railway sleeper on both my feet and broke them and one ancle. The next day I started at a new project, in a wheelchair in the bush.
I am sorry I missed your talk.

 

[GO GIRL]

Hiya BB nice to read again in fact really inspirational...its a matter of setting your mind to it ...

The talk was great, makes one feel very anxious but also very much geared to go,..

 

[Rooies]

Just one question, when is this report moving to "'Roll of Honour' - Best Ride Reports" ?

 

[pieman]

Just one question, when is this report moving to "'Roll of Honour' - Best Ride Reports" ?

AGREED!!!

 

[Gee eS]

Just one question, when is this report moving to "'Roll of Honour' - Best Ride Reports" ?

AGREED!!!

+1 :thumleft:

 

[Kreef]

Just one question, when is this report moving to "'Roll of Honour' - Best Ride Reports" ?

AGREED!!!

+1 :thumleft:

uhmmmm, it can only be moved once it's completed...