Tour du Burundi - Day 2 - A very difficult day

Well, what can I say! I thought yesterday was challenging, but it was nothing in comparison to today! We left our hotel on the shores of Lake Tanganyika at around 8am to begin a very long day cycling - to be precise, my time in the saddle was 6 hours 17 minutes and 48 sends covering 61.1 miles and gaining 5,839ft. The road we took was mountainous, and beautiful but the beauty was sometimes masked at times for a lot of us by the sheer concentration required to get through the day. This is the single most challenging thing I have ever done physically!! 

Anyway, I made it and I am glad to say that I actually feel OK tonight and very happy that I have made it through to day 2 of 7. There was a downer on the day however, as one of the riders (experienced) Geoff Andrews unfortunately had a cycling accident whilst on the route. Geoff was going at some speed probably well over 40mph, and nobody saw what actually happened, but we found Geoff lying and barely conscious on the tarmac with a number of different injuries and his bike on too of him. I could see blood coming from his arm, heard a groaning sound from his mouth and his cycling jersey in tatters. Thank God that he was wearing his helmet - I genuinely believe that this has saved his life as his helmet was mangled and the polystyrene was cracked and damaged. I thought Geoff was dying when we first arrived, but thankfully he began to regaine some conciousness and began speaking to us in a confused way. 
Geoff has been taken to Shammah Health Center in Gitega where Hannah and I work, and where ironically the Tour du Burundi will take us tomorrow. 

We have had an update tonight, to say that as far as they can see there are no long lasting injuries - however it is potential that he has broken some ribs, has 'road scarring' on his back and side and has a head injury. Please pray for Geoff at this time, as he is no doubt going to be in a lot of pain tonight, and for the foreseeable. Geoff is remaining in Gitega tonight with Josh, and his Dad (Nurse and Doctor) so that they can monitor him there, and we will be able to see him tomorrow whilst in Gitega.

It really brought it home to me that this really is/can be quite dangerous if you don't take care and precautions. Geoff is extremely fit and healthy, and a keen experienced cyclist. I have definitely curbed my speed shall we say, as today I also reached over 40 mph.

There really is a great sense of team spirit on this ride in this group of amazing and varied men. I look forward to the SHORTER and LESS HILLY ride tomorrow - plus I get to see Hannah and stay in my own bed which is a bonus!

Thanks for reading, and for your continued support but that's definitely it for today as I started cycling at 8am and have only just had a shower!

Andy

This is Steve - a pastor and team member