The Race Has Started

Hello to family and friends.
Apologies for not getting to this blog sooner but Chris and I have been busy riding our bikes from Cairo to Safaga - a coastal town on the shores of the Red Sea (South of Cairo). We have been riding the past four days. Day one was 110km ride - Cairo to a desert camp, day two was a bigger day-170km from a desert camp to a desert camp on the shores on the Red Sea, day three 140km along the shores of the Red Sea and another desert camp and today we rode with a raging tail wind...fantastic ...110km to Safaga, a coastal town on the Red Sea which is famous for deep sea diving. It is a beautiful place and we are right on the sandy shores of the Red Sea which incidently is a gorgeous shade of green and blue..not red as the name suggests. Tonight is a luxury for us as we get to stay in a hotel and have just had a hot shower. Small pleasures when you are on the road. Got off my bike this morning after a fast 110km due to the tail wind (2hrs.53mins for me, 2hrs.45mins for Chris) and booked straight in to the hotel for showers then next door for fresh calamari and fish straight out of the Red Sea. Perfect!!! I was pleased with my racing today as I managed to stay with the peleton for 2hrs 5 minutes before being dropped (hence the 8 minute difference from my time and the boys).

If you check out the official Tour d'Afrique site you will see the race results. I am proud to say that I am currently the Womens Tour Leader having won the last four stages of racing and have about a 4hour 15min lead over the next female. Chris suggested that I start racing the boys in the morning but I think I will just steadily build a bigger lead over the next week so that by the time we hit the Sudan (which apparently is diabolical as it is all sand dunes and not much else) I will have more time up my sleeve for any mishaps. Chris has also won a stage and so Team Alexander/Maund is staying healthy and doing well. He is currently sitting in second place (1 or 2 minutes behind the leader) so he is happy. Hills start in the moring so he is rearing to go as the sick puppy loves hills!!! We will be in Luxor in two days time and I will fill you in on more of what we have seen and done besides riding our bikes when we get there e.g. we have had a police escort every evening since Cairo. Anyway, we have two more desert camps until we get to a hotel in Luxor and I will get back to you then. The rest of our tour need to get on the internet and so it has to be short for now plus shops are calling.
Trust you are all well.
Love ya
Janet and Chris