Member-only story
My pleasure!
“Erik, you’re a hero.”
I’m standing at a petrol station just outside Valldemossa on the beautiful island of Mallorca. The trunk of my rental car is open and stocked with water, isotonic powder, Snickers, Coca-Cola, and toilet paper.
A friend of mine, Hannes (not his real name), asked me to support the cycling club he was a member of during their bike race across Mallorca.
He asked me because the official refreshment stops get crowded, and you have to wait a long time to get your refreshments. So they wanted to bypass the system, and I was the bypass.
I agreed, and my tameless curiosity served me well.
This race, Mallorca 312, is a big thing.
Once a year, 8.500 cyclists participate and ride 167, 225, or 312 kilometers across the island, including a few brutal uphill climbs.
I decided to join them and take it all in. I love these kinds of events; I’ve run several marathons and half-marathons myself. I love their massiveness, preparation, effort, pain, joy, banter among participants, and energy.
Human beings challenging themselves to the maximum is inspiring.
After I witnessed the start at 6:30 a.m., I returned to the hotel to pick up my car and drove toward Valldemossa. I was…
