THANK YOU - 24 hours long

Stage 1 (27.6 km / 843 hm) survived!!! Not last, but close to it :) Since yesterday evening, we have been at the BC Bike Race in Cumberland. Cumberland is (once again) a really nice small town, with shops and cafes reminiscent of days gone by. Okay, the hemp shop is new, but that's not a need we share. We're still quite relaxed, looking forward to what's coming. We are spending the week with all participants (about 800 from 35 different countries) in the so-called 'Vanlife' at the Basecamp. About 300 are sleeping in tents - Gurtenfestival-feeling for those over 50, and we're right in the middle of it. Beer garden, music, and food trucks. Breakfast and dinner are at the local community hall. The buffet is super organized and absolutely delicious, with a wide selection and very large quantities. People strike up conversations, are helpful, have a constant smile, and are just friendly and cheerful. That would be our idea of what we could get used to, and it would be so desirable to encounter even a small mosaic piece of that back home. At 10:45 AM, the start was right in the middle of the main street. We lined up pretty far back. Many were there to cheer, and then we headed off into the woods and steeply uphill. Weather: sunny, over 20 degrees. Too hot for both of us. The trail was very well marked, and the riders motivated us, no stress... well, that's not entirely true; Anja did get stressed when a rider was behind her. But even here, there was space and pure friendliness. When someone passed, they thanked us kindly for letting them through. Almost unreal for a race. The trail is technically very challenging and demands everything. Huge roots and rocks. Going down is no problem; on the contrary, Anja loves steep descents. But climbing up single trails over roots is a struggle. And it quickly becomes noticeable; the strength fades, and the legs feel heavy. Suddenly, someone flies down the slope in front of Anja. Uhhh, shit... he says he’s okay, but Anja helps him take his bike and gets him back on his feet. He thanks her profusely, even waiting at the finish line for her to say thank you. Very touching gesture. Speaking of the finish line: after 3.5 hours, we cross the finish line together, the speaker congratulates our team and makes fun of our name. For clarification: Our team is called: CINNAMON ROLLS 113. The name Cinnamon Roll is explained quickly, it’s in the Norway blog :). The 113 is our combined age. A little tip, Anja’s age is mentioned right at the beginning of this blog, and if anyone wants to know how old Peter is: Math! Tomorrow there will be a new stage, 50 kilometers and over 800 meters of elevation. It will be tough, and there will be many F- and Sh-words coming from Anja.... But at the moment, she is peacefully and happily snuggled up with Teddy Rocky in the camper. Let’s wait and see what else will happen and how it goes on... we are grateful that we had a good day, that the bikes are running smoothly, and that we are healthy... oh yes... by the way... Nino Schurter is also participating in the race.... Sorry and once again sorry (since we are in Canada) that we probably won’t be writing much this week, and there are hardly any photos... THANK YOU anyway for reading. We will update at the finish line on Friday :)