Badlands 2023 - Ultra Cycling in the Spanish Desert

We're just signing on. I'm David, Badlands organizer. Well, Badlands, the concept, the roots, was born four years ago when we wanted to put in one root this very special landscape that we have here showing a great amount of diversity because we have the only deserts in Europe, also very nice forests, Sierra de Hueto and Sierra Nevada. Also, Big Mountain in Sierra Nevada, in fact, has the highest cold in Europe and the Mediterranean coast of Cabo de Gata. So, we did it all together in a very special challenge by packing focus on gravel. Hello, sir. Hello. How are you? Nervous. I'm about to throw up. So, watch your camera. Don't throw up. Don't throw up on me. I'll squeeze this banana in. You'll be fine, man. You'll smell fine. I went for a piss over there. I was just like, kind of paranoid. In the roundabout. Yeah. And then you're just like, There's some good bushes over there. A couple of good ones. I mean, I've drunk this and now it's just going straight through. Yeah, I'm holding on to the piss for like 10 minutes to go and then just let it go. If I go now, I'll have to go again. That's true. I'm not sure if a bunch of lemon is the best thing for a morning. Energy, man. Energy. How are you feeling, Brad? I'm actually very excited. I just want to get going. I'm itching. I'm itching to go. How are you feeling? Oh, man. The nerves are high, but I'll be alright. How are you feeling, Jesse? I'm feeling okay. I am very strong. It's the start of Badlands. I'm going straight up a climb. Go on, lad. This is already split to smithereens and yeah, it's already really beautiful. We're three hours in. Feels like we've been riding for half an hour. And we've only had a bit of spitting because of rain, which is very lucky, considering the forecast. We are also trying to show how people live and yeah, sharing what environmental talents that people have related to their certification, their presentation. A crazy ultra distance that takes you through some spectacular landscapes in the south of Spain. It's like riding through different countries, different environments. Basically, it's an experience for riders to push the limits, push themselves, share that with others and learn about themselves, learn about others and be connected with the bike. My goals for this race have changed drastically. I was hoping to get a decent position, but it's just turned into a game of attrition. I'm pretty broken. I'm struggling on the hills, which is where I should be doing well. I'm just going to plug away and get to the finish. Well, that was it. Second day away from where I'm going to grab some dinner. By the time I get there, it'll be nine o'clock. So, when I leave there, I'll be riding into the dark. 3.30 a.m. I'm going to have a half an hour to an hour power nap and then get back on the road. I've gone over the highest point and had a really nice, long, atomic descent. I think it's about 50, 60 km, and I'm halfway. It's now the morning of the second day. I'm well over halfway and, yeah, I just keep on ticking over. We're in the Grappi Desert, and we're now heading towards the coast. It's going to be a bit of a beach hike, I think. I'm currently riding along the coastal section of the route, and the wind and the heat are making this very difficult. I've now got a 2km hike along a beach. It's not ideal. We've climbed up out of Almira, which is at sea level, and we're heading back up to Sierra Nevada. It's 210km to the finish, with a hell of a lot of climbing. It's now day three. I'm 645km in, around 105km to go. It's going to be a big struggle. It's a lot of uphill to go, and it's pretty much all uphill from here to the finish. We're climbing at the worst possible time of day. It's a right slap bang in the middle today. It's bone dry. I've just stopped now and again to quench the thirst. We're getting to a town very shortly. I'm pleading that there's a shop with a nice cold drink. Then refill the waters, and carry on up. It's a bit silly. Usually, every single ultra I've done, I'm using this bike. I've taken the Di2 charger. This time I didn't, because I thought it was a short event. I won't need it. The front mech's just gone, so I've just got the rear mech. Just to use a few gears. Hopefully, at last, the plan is just to stay in the smallest gear and spin up the climbs and coast the descents. 18 kilometers from bringing it home. One more pass to get over. If worst comes to worst and my bike gives up now, I reckon I could walk it. I'd rather not. The option's there. I'm going up the final pass and the final climb. I'm getting absolutely swarmed by flies. I guess I must stink. Three days, no showering, two nights, two hours sleep. Bonkers. Looking forward to having a shower, having a bit to eat, sleeping in a bed rather than gravel, and having a blanket. That's what I'm most looking forward to because I've had no sleeping equipment for the last two nights, so anything is going to feel like luxury. Hey, this is Robin. I finished Badlands yesterday, no, two days ago, and it was extremely tough. I'm not used to going that fast anymore. I like longer distances more than what we had here, but I think it was a good mental exercise in not stopping and just keep pushing hard. And you came second? I came second, yes. What do you think of Badlands, Brad? Badlands, in a short time, all the emotions, all the weather. I wasn't expecting torrential rain. We had a bit of everything. Pushed the body to the max. No sleep, no rest. Might do it again.