Start: 06:25 on Sunday, 28 July 2024, Foča Municipality (RS), Bosnia & Herzegovina
Elapsed time: 14:48:44
Moving time: 10:48:21
Distance: 200.44 km
Elevation: 3269 m
The day started off well. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and I was optimistic about having a good ride after the disaster of the day before. Little did I know it would turn out to be even worse.
The Second Major Routing Mistake
A couple of weeks before the race started, the organizers banned a road I had originally planned to use. In a rush, I made a quick adjustment to my route but didn’t spend enough time carefully rechecking the alternatives.
This oversight led me straight into a trap: I found myself in a hole surrounded by gravel roads and steep, unpaved climbs, with no easy way out. For the next several hours, I was forced to walk my bike, searching for a way around the hills. When one path didn’t work, I tried another—and walked even more.
And yes, it was all done without shoes.
It was a nightmare. I was physically and mentally drained, stuck in what felt like an endless loop of walking and frustration. I reached a very dark place.
Eventually, I had no choice but to cross a field and hike up a mountain. By the time night fell, I realized descending on gravel in the dark would be too dangerous. I stopped and slept in the forest.
This was not a fun day. In fact, it was basically a day lost.
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