Up early again for the final day. Went to the special stage but it was lame so drove to finish line 40 km away in a large field. I stopped and bought a ten foot pvc pipe to attach my flag to for the finale.
They reversed the starting order so missed Gerry as he was last, so first to start, but I didn't even know if he made it through yesterday's stage, but when Thomas stopped by me he filled me in that Gerry indeed did make it and that all the seven South Africans that entered finished. Wessel Bosman from Lesotho was pulled from the race a few days ago, at 59 he made a helluva showing. David said to meet him tonight and asked to borrow my flag for the ceremony. He chatted for ages and was so happy to have finished in the top forty and said it was the to get race to date.
Low and behold here comes #129 Gerry, and he stops and just grinning ear to ear, totally knackered, he got in at 3 am and had to start at 6am. He told me about the day before, 6 hours to do 124 km falling twice injuring his ribs and just beyond exhausted but thrilled to have finished. He had been on the phone to his wife in Knysna crying with joy or pain , I guess.
Then the cars rolled in and Hennie and Gerrie called me over, so I scrambled through the fence, luckily none of the nation's security guys saw me and I was in!
They won Rookie of the Race which was great and we're in the top twenty a stunning achievement. What a pleasure to have watched them from Lima all the way and to have them stop and talk to me at the end of everyday was truly testament to their character. They held the flag the right way up this time.
I then moved up to the press section which was a maneuver or two and some dodging and I was in. Gils had won the stage and third overall and was giving interviews to NBC, congratulated him and then Nasser was there, came second overall and Saint won it for Peugeot for their last showing in the Dakar.
Toby Price didn't win but was upbeat in his interview and Ricky Brabec (USA) who was lying 5th, when yesterday day his bike caught alight for the second year in a row on the penultimate day. Mark Samuels (USA) lost his passport and phone yesterday and was flying out at 1 am, good luck with that, but he was not in a bit concerned after finishing the Dakar.
I then went to the bivouac to try give my flag to Thomas but that did not jive and then went over to the podium in the city.
I thought it would be like Lima where everyone has access to the podium.
It was all fenced off and you needed tickets to enter, so I was screwed and livid that I could not get in and complete the journey.
Well I tried to tell the guy that I need in and had come all the way from Lima and Lindsey explained it in Spanish and he ushered us in. I was fortunate enough to walk in with a few people into the Cordoba City VIP tent enclosure, what a great break , finally some excellent food and cold beer and empanadas and steak wraps, Greek style. It was bliss, and so I stayed there and fortunately the entrance was right there and they all had to come by me and would hopefully see The Flag.
Gerry stopped and tried to use my flag but was not comfortable with it so went without it. Then Thomas came in and saw me and stopped and I asked him if I could hitch a ride and hold the flag and he said to hop on. I sprang over the barriers , grabbed The Flag , slipped , and then jumped on the back of the bike and we rode in. What an ending to an epic trip. We stopped at the podium ,I hopped off and he drove around and I met him at the end and got The Flag and couldn't thank him enough.
Now I was in the Dakar Club area which is most exclusive and where all the teams are celebrating and the booze is flowing and the food is delicious and waitresses are all over with trays of food and delicious deserts. Now this was was unreal for a pleb like me. Hennie and Gerrard bumped into me and need The Flag so we broke the pvc pipe in half to stick it it in the car.
Then hung with them and took pictures on the back up podium, cause only the top three in each category go up The Podium.
I mentioned to Hennie when I am back in SA I would like to take then out for a beer and how would I be able to contact him. Hennie then tells me to phone Treasury One and he is the CEO and then invited me to stay at his plce when I come up there, hopefully he remembers that. A normal guy to the bone that's done well and enjoying the fruits of his hard work and passion.
I saw David , an Aussies Molle Motto entrant who I had spoken to on occasions and congratulated him and he said it was a super tough event and would not be back next year due to the costs and the amount of time it takes to prepare and has other goals to conquer.
After taking a bunch of pictures with them it was all over, done. Two weeks of crazy travel and meeting interesting people and making new friends is all over, klaar gelag.
No more chasing day after day, never eating and days without a shower and brushing your teeth and wearing the same clothes all the time, dirty ,smelly and bed bugs, heat and lack of sleep and water are things of the past now, back to the old boring day to day grind of travelling.
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