Candid Email from Denis
Marc and Patrick are performing in an extraordinary fashion, we are so proud of them. The race started Saturday at noon, PST, and as of now, they have been riding for 4 days (96 hours) exactly, and they have covered 1385 miles (that is 2285 km.) [This is email is a day old]
They have climbed over 10,000 feet twice, once to 10858 ft (3310 m), going through multiple 3000 ft or over climbs, gone through deserts where the car temperature gauge at 122 F (50 C) was blocked.
They have done this with an average speed of over 14.4 miles per hour (23.76 km / hour), and currently they are literally flying through the plains of Kansas as 21.2 miles per hour (35 km / hour).
The crew is extraordinary. Marie saved the race on day 2 when the boys could not eat anymore the solid food that they had planned on, and had only a fraction of the 8000 cal / day intake that they should be having.
After that we literally sprinted to Durango, CO through the desert, Monument Valley, then several major climbs into the Rockies, to make the time cutoff, and they made it with 3 hours to spare.
Lisette is so good, running the RV like an absolute professional.
Stephanie and Emily bring at the same time their tenderness and efficiency, which is so important.
Gabriel is now an expert navigator. Jeanne, who just had heart surgery, is toughening it out.
Rosemary and I are doing our best to make it work. It is all for the boys !
We are all exhausted, but what a feat these two are accomplishing. Please pray so, so ever hard for safety, and for this accomplishment which they have worked so hard at getting to.
