It's a Wrap

La Palma for Pizza

GranGuancher to the Rescue

First Man Home

The Party Pacers

Adam's Astonishing Audax Pace

Three a piece on Tenerife

The Sun Sets on Day 2

Land Ho - it's Gran Canaria!

And They're Off!

With the final Guanchers arriving into the beautiful port of Santa Cruz La Palma earlier today, it's time for a quick recap and wrap up on this years GGAT3. Out of 27 starters, 15 riders finished with 1 achieving the Audax Pace - Adam Palin. The scratch count comes to 12, due to mechanicals, injuries or sheer exhaustion. The women stormed to victory, with all five female riders making it to the finish line!

In all the riders together rode 18,388km across five islands of the Canaries, burning a staggering 423,000 calories (more or less!). I'm sure plenty of calories were also ingested, although not nearly enough to replace those burnt, so some catching up is required as is the case in all ultra distance races. Chariel de Cock put in a good effort, who reported racking up an impressive 15 snickers, 3 pizzas, 1kg haribo along with plenty Spanish delicacies no doubt.  

The hero of the day is Tomas Vajdiak, who had the misfortune of missing his flight (cancelled), so he never made it to the start line in time. He caught a flight a day later, however his bike didn't make it. It's been a lengthy wait, and the missing bike finally turned up yesterday in Fuerteventura! Despite being marked as 'DNF' on the tracking leaderboard, he's actually started his own ride today, what amazing commitment! All I can say is, I hope he has a forgiving boss (or forgiving workload) that will allow him to stay on two wheels for a while to make up for lost time. Kudos Tomas!

*Tomas in Lanzarote, the start of his own journey.*

![PHOTO-2023-12-10-16-10-17](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/32uxYnkDK0xbKWrFxxLmu2/d804e4ff20e61f0401ed7ef15526c1ff/PHOTO-2023-12-10-16-10-17.jpg)

Robert Hofmann, Amy Holman and Dana Wolf were the final three to roll home this afternoon, greeted by other riders and the GGAT3 team. They chose to enjoy La Palma in complete daylight, over two days. A wise choice, given that the final island was a highlight for most finishers despite being long, tough and so close to the finish (but yet so far at times). 

*Amy Holman on the closing stages of La Palma, photo by Mat Minelli.*

![@matminelli MXT53049](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/F1Kf64ssqjkmnrYA01bqQ/3916f3d24583165bad10a0258d315437/_matminelli_MXT53049.jpg)

Dot watchers were out in full force for this edition with accounts to show for it. For instance, Robert Huebser met a retired German couple at a supermarket yesterday, who were inspecting his bike and taking pictures. He was suspicious (do they want to steal my bike...?) but then they asked if he was participating in the GranGuanche, because they were dot watching! Spotting a dot in the wild can be an exciting thing, especially when dots crawling across a map is all you have.  

For those who finished, keep an eye out for the official results which are to be posted by the organisers next week. There may be a penalty or two to account for, so the leaderboard on the tracking site is provisional. That's all from me. Thanks so much for following along with the third edition of the GranGuanche Audax Trail. The friendly vibe and magic sense of canarian adventure is what makes this event, and I'll be a dot on the map one of these days to experience the magic for myself. 

It's been a few days since we last checked in, so lets see what's been happening as we approach a week on the trail for GGAT3. So far we have 11 finishers, including two women - Cecilia Thomasson and Chariel De Cock. Cecilia finished as first woman in 4D 16H 45M after an incredbly strong ride, strong enough to be 5th overall. Ali Elamrani Joitei also arrived a few hours earlier, and was straight to the bar for a celebratory beer before getting some much needed sleep. 

*Cecilia on La Palma, photo by Mat Minelli.*
![@matminelli MXT52188](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4rFSUltvKmCtIuGrk0sOk9/76f1f0e673e0e334830508528451e339/_matminelli_MXT52188.jpg)

Chariel De Cock has finished as second woman and 9th overall in a time of 6D 1H 6M. She even managed to crash on the final island, but this did little to stop her motivation to finish. Chapeau Chariel! To have two women in the top ten is brilliant, Cecilia and Chariel have paved the way for women in future editions.

![PHOTO-2023-12-08-19-01-40](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2OlAZXb2VEQFxJjkke21cU/3a5c25d687713f16c2a46cdc2b181fc3/PHOTO-2023-12-08-19-01-40.jpg)

Into the final few kilometers is James Wong, who got a little held up the other night during his rescue mission to get the German hiker to safety. He's now onto the final descent, just in time for pizza with other finishers and the GranGuanche crew. Chapeau James! 

There are three remaining riders still plugging away - all on the final island La Palma and due to finish in the next 24h. These are now are lantern rouge trio, since taking the mantle from Daniel Mendez Barrao and Jorge Cebrián Bonastre who both scratched in Tenerife due to mechanical and logistical problems. They also wanted to spend a few quiet days of vacation before heading home, and who can blame them. Of the five islands, Tenerife was perhaps the most prolific scratch point due to the airport being located there, hence an easy journey home for many. Arturo Milazzo was another one to scratch here, having sustained an unfortunate crash and suffering some pain (but nothing broken). 

There were many reasons to celebrate in the past few days, with four birthdays to account for - Alex Kowalski, Ian Kowalski, and the swiss buddies Steve Morabito and Guillaume Bourgeois who shared their 40th. Out of these four, all scratched apart from Guillaume so he had two things to celebrate. 

![@matminelli MXT52345](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3BOvyPuTFjlKiujmz554nV/e1bfc3f50bf6e14e2757ca7602229b42/_matminelli_MXT52345.jpg)


*Cover Image by Maarten Vanhaverbeke, final morning on La Palma.* 

Many congratulations to the second and third finishes of GGAT3 - Yanick Ueltschi and Maarten Vanhaverbeke! They both finished in 3D 17H 50M and 4D 1H 32M respectively. Yanick was literally racing to the finish in time for his flight home; he's now on his way, one more mechanical and he would have missed it!

Cecilia Thomasson and Ali Elamrani Joitei arrived together at La Palma last night. The sleep demons really have gotten the better of Cecilia, as she was fast asleep upon arriving at the port, and ferry staff had to rouse her from a deep sleep. After this she slept for a few more hours before starting at around 4am. She's now into the finishing stages of La Palma, and the accolade of first woman looks to be in the bag. Second woman on the trail is Chariel De cock who has had a superb ride, having just made the ferry crossing over to La Palma.  

It's been an eventful 24 hours for James Wong, who was involved in a mid-ultra rescue mission last night. Previous inhabitant of the Best Bivvy Spot (the the cave mid Gran Canaria), James came across a German lady lost at midnight in the woods in Tenerife. He first went off route to find signal to call mountain rescue services, leaving her with his tracker for security and safety.   

![PHOTO-2023-12-07-16-12-43](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5aTG4oJoALRvpTEPXj9KeT/8ae9b46d16f6407e4a683f59b7e826d0/PHOTO-2023-12-07-16-12-43.jpg)

She had hiked all the way from Icod de los Vinos, some 35km without any proper maps or apps, having followed the signs instead. James remained with her for 2 hours to ensure she didn't wander off into the wilderness with such limited resources... what a hero! Unfortunately, he later paid for those altruistic decisions and got very cold, ran out of headtorch battery whilst suffering from an episode of food poisoning. If that's not enough, he spent a good 45 minutes finding the hike-a-bike trail at 04:30 whilst battling a bonk and deep fatigue. After eventually finding the trail and the ferry to La Palma, he's made it to the final island and has taken some time out today to rest and recuperate before pushing on with the final 190km.

*James accounting his night events.* 

![PHOTO-2023-12-07-12-21-56](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5mLgn33HTjYbq3P8yoParC/08f64d489a7529c5a36979f7f1c0c5ff/PHOTO-2023-12-07-12-21-56.jpg)

A shout out to our lantern rouge guys - Jorge Cebrián Bonastre and Daniel Mendez Barrao from Zaragoza are doing fine. The prefer not to ride at night and Daniel was sick at the start line. He reported feeling much better yesterday, and is motivated to finish. 

In total nine riders have scratched. All scratchees are men, and all five women starters are still going and doing well. That's girl power for you ;) 

*Smiles all round for the women.*

![PHOTO-2023-12-07-16-21-47](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5gZiLUEdIunguieZEbRrVu/ca3add6c2d5a6fb83d797b5c17ed8d21/PHOTO-2023-12-07-16-21-47.jpg)

*Amy Holman's sunrise snap climbing out of Santa Cruz.*

![PHOTO-2023-12-07-10-17-05](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/npTGGHs5lF3J5pSmGcB9t/cd96bdad89a5481690d5a3639fe8351c/PHOTO-2023-12-07-10-17-05.jpg)

He's done it! Adam Palin has cracked the Audax Pace of the GranGuanche Audax Trail 2023, as first finisher in a time of 3D 10H 10M. Congratulations Adam, that finish line beer is very much deserved!

The start time for this edition of the Audax Trail was different to previous, therefore the ferry schedule was also different. This made it tricky to compare the difficulty against previous editions, and whether the Audax Pace could even be achieved. After a nail biting descent into Los Cristianos harbour for the final crossing to La Palma, Adam was the only rider to make the pace and has set the bar high for future editions.

It's not over yet, there's still plenty of dots out there moving across Tenerife and La Palma today. In total 8 riders have scratched since the beginning, leaving 18 still on the go. 

*Cover image by Mat Minelli.*

With around 25km left to go on La Palma, it looks like Adam has this one in the bag. What a ride from the Brit! Let's not forget that the final island is no easy roll home even when the chasers are a good few hours behind. With over 6000m of climbing over 190km, the route entails a long loop with epic sea-to-summit climbs in an ever-changing and pristine landscape. Resupply points are very limited, so riders should be well equipped and headstrong in the face of fatigue. Adam has given a textbook example of this, barely putting a foot wrong the whole way. 

![@matminelli MXT51973](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5p95TyVZPfBKiNhzfoLb5L/1fb1d14fd1026714f4b7583b0d1dffab/_matminelli_MXT51973.jpg)

Maarten Vanhaverbeke and Yanick Ueltschi arrived at the port of Los Cristianos last night, four hours behind Adam. The pair were forced to wait until morning for the ferry to La Palma, this gave Adam the buffer he needed to ride off into the distance and finally stop looking over his shoulder. 

Maarten had been nursing tyre issues for a good while, and having picked up a new tyre earlier this was finally put to good use once reaching La Palma, the final island. He'd been carrying the spare tyre on his handlebars all the way through Tenerife, perhaps it's the most well travelled tyre in GranGuanche history. The only problem?.. a major mismatch of black and tan sidewalls! Hopefully this won't slow him down too much. 

![IMG 4503](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3vFtt8JKlEWWVZfz7iKBjY/544efe6aa77ec23559824a6605ab693c/IMG_4503.jpg)

Lázaro Méndez Alonso and Ali Elamrani Joitei (The Unicorn) have made good progress along with Cecilia Thomasson hot on their heels. The Unicorn has just landed in La Palma! Why this nickname, you ask? Well, this was given by the GranGuanche crew, since Ali managed to break one aerobar whilst assembling the bike before the start and has been riding with a single aerobar the whole time. I thought a single aerobar was to save weight, but couldn't have been further from the truth. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-06-18-39-21](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5gsaM0GSufpqbt9YnaSoOX/c7d28dc0d3cf78b76d80e08eb01af34c/PHOTO-2023-12-06-18-39-21.jpg)

Lázaro has reported achilles problems, and won't make the ferry to La Palma tonight. It seems that the achilles is the worst affected part of the body in this edition of GranGuanche, probably due to all the hike-a-bike up steep and rocky terrain. Joie Philippe is the third rider reporting the same issue, and is taking extra time to rest tonight. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-06-12-34-28](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7yI5GFqIot2r9qZkOd6MhA/6249dde8892c63609219f14d21c1292d/PHOTO-2023-12-06-12-34-28.jpg)

It's been a day of scratches for various reasons. Some major road detours from David Masip and the Kowalski brothers later transpired to be scratches by all three. Having claimed the award for Most Unfortunate Start (due to that flat in the first kilometer), David did well to claw his way back into the mid-pack, albeit at the expense of achilles problems. He decided to stop in Agaete to prevent further damage. 

Alex and Ian Kowalski have their flight back to the US on the 9th December, therefore timing was too tight to finish the route and they decided to mark their personal finish in Tenerife. As Ian's first bikepacking ultra event, I'd say thats a sound effort! No doubt they'll be back to finish the job. I wonder if Alex will pack his gears this time...

Christiaan Pol has also scratched in Gran Canaria after 427km as a result of his wheel issue yesterday. The wheel needed replacing, and the possibility of borrowing a bike from Emilio (previous scratchee, based in Santa Cruz) wasn't too appealing given the size issue; Christiaan as a tall Dutch vs. Emilio as a 'normal sized' Spaniard. Daniel Townend has also scratched in the same place as Christiaan, due to suffering from tyre issues from the beginning. 

In other news, the remaining party pacers seem to be having a great time out there. There's something to be said for a good nights sleep, and many of those who slept in San Bartolomé last night have made good progress together today through the hike-a-bike of Gran Canaria. Having timed it perfectly to make the final ferry to Tenerife, the group of Amy Holman, Dana Wolf and Robert Hofmann have landed in the port of Santa Cruz. Watch this space to see how they fair over the final two islands. 

![@matminelli DSCF6859](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1n7KHZsi8qWQYjN6QctRzA/74d9f0a6a43896241bf8c0c6610db053/_matminelli_DSCF6859.jpg)

After an epic push across Tenerife via Mt Teide, Adam Palin descended into Los Cristianos harbour this evening to make the ferry just in the nick of time. He arrived at the harbour at 19.25, bursting into tears at the ticket office. With the scheduled departure being 19.30 it really was touch and go for a moment. However luck was on his side and with the public holiday happening tomorrow the ferry was busier than usual, meaning a slight delay on departure. Congratulations Adam on cracking the Audax Pace! Now to enjoy the long ferry crossing to the final island - La Palma.

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-19-33-00](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1En43ajoKoPnGIJJ2fN11n/bfa94c15bc083d453b3151d9ca013eef/PHOTO-2023-12-05-19-33-00.jpg)

There is some speculation that Adam ventured off route temporarily today. This looked like a slight detour adjacent to the official route, and will need investigating by the crew to determine if a penalty is required. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-12-31-43](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ErMdvE4Bw520ssHLQGGZR/e4df9adb1ef0138133e68db41bcc5092/PHOTO-2023-12-05-12-31-43.jpg)

Still in the midst of Tenerife, both Maarten Vanhaverbeke and Yanick Ueltschi are making tracks across the lunar landscape of Mt Teide which reaches over 2000m at it's highest point. With the pressure now off for them, they'll be able to take advantage of a good rest at Los Cristianos tonight before the crossing tomorrow morning. Cecilia Thomasson is some 75km behind Maarten and Yanick, in a strong 4th position. There's no one else on Tenerife at present, and if she pushes on through the night there's a good chance the three of them could catch the same ferry to La Palma in the morning.

In the mid-pack, Christiaan Pol has suffered an unfortunate mechanical in the form of a 10cm crack in his rear wheel. The plan for him is to try and ride delicately to Agaete, or perhaps hitch a lift. A solution may await in Santa Cruz, however opportunities may be thin on the ground considering the public holiday tomorrow. He has around 55km to the port, which is a long way to go on rough terrain when your rim is about to fail!

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-16-01-37](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5MJ6pqVnudvsWAVK15BROt/cc708a75586d42ee3a52920b4a218be5/PHOTO-2023-12-05-16-01-37.jpg)

The award for Best Bivvy Spot last night goes to James Wong! James came across an amazing cave during the remote section of Gran Canaria. He bagged 4.5 hours sleep. I dont know about you, but I'd struggle to leave such a beautiful spot if it weren't for the pressing issue of ferry times. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-11-27](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7C7nacOFlj5re7OtVTEqxd/449a45fe6532ebd6dd50800b052f9363/PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-11-27.jpg)
![PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-11-43](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5eZ0o0alUgDwCTfjS4ky9b/ae7de9d3a5f7f05625e00bd1e0c4119a/PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-11-43.jpg)

Meanwhile, Ali Elamrani Joitei and Lázaro Méndez Alonso were the only two to catch the 20:00 ferry to Tenerife. It will be interesting to see if they try to make up ground overnight, or decide to rest in Santa Cruz before the push up and over Mt Teide. There's a mid-pack party happening tonight in San Bartolomé which includes single speed Alex Kowalski and his brother Ian Kowalski who have come from the US. Several riders have bagged a room for €30 in the same hotel along with some epic portions of beef stew. The fuel will be much needed, Mt Teide awaits tomorrow. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-17-05](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3uYsYZUhbN2YX99A6pNT6A/d7041079ae66a284bb0dce4c65cff3d7/PHOTO-2023-12-05-20-17-05.jpg)

Good morning and welcome to day 3 on the GranGuanche Audax Trail. Here's a quick morning update to catch up on developments overnight. 

The four musketeers arrived into the port of Agaete in the early hours, Marteen being the last to arrive at around 4am. The tyre situation for Marteen isn't looking great, and he'll have to stop for a new tyre if possible. Emilio Castro Crecente has decided to call it a day and head home from Santa Cruz, suffering with nerve damage issues to his hands. Perhaps an equally pressing factor is that he has work tomorrow! At least he lives in Tenerife, so it should be an easy journey home for him.  

*Emilio bids farewell to his fellow GranGuanchers.* 

![02dadac1-f4e8-44ee-b22a-92e1f5d42b7d](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/irV1xs1XDuKbnyZR1CQhQ/ca7702c9a3a6b86d55feddc29f4cfe5b/02dadac1-f4e8-44ee-b22a-92e1f5d42b7d.JPG)

Of the group of three, Adam Palin and Yanick Ueltschi are committed to try and sustain the Audax Pace and make the ferry tonight. Tenerife is the biggest challege yet, and they'll have to hold 18kmph over 170km in order to make the Fred Olsen 19:00 or Armas (19:30) to the final island.

Further back, Cecilia left San Bartolome at 2am and started on the most technical and exposed section of Gran Canaria. There have been reports that the trail is difficult to follow at times, but she should have no problems considering her orienteering and downhill MTB experience. It's expected that she'll make the 12:00 or 14:00 ferry to Tenerife. 

Behind Cecilia the group of 7 are heading into the heart of Gran Canaria, the advantage being that they will approach the most technical section in daylight. Those who stayed in Morro Jable last night will have benefitted from a nice long rest, also considering the long ferry crossing to Gran Canaria. These riders are on the crossing now and due to land in La Palma at around 11am this morning. 

*Amy Holman making good use of time, allowing the bibs to dry out au naturale during the crossing to Gran Canaria.* 

![PHOTO-2023-12-05-09-56-49](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4TX7kia9Y2N1sTxgPAzUCn/fda0be426e778c6424d2d9f0c53a4d72/PHOTO-2023-12-05-09-56-49.jpg)

Scratch Report: Leon Weissmann has scratched after 265km. He is fine, reporting that he'd bitten off more than he could chew for his first ultra. He's already thinking of a return next year, kudos Leon!

It's the evening of Day 2, and the front runners of GGAT3 have been on the go since leaving Orzola, with some short respite during the first two ferry crossings. Four guys are pushing through the second night across Gran Canaria: Adam Palin, Emilio Castro Crecente, Yanick Ueltschi and Maarten Vanhaverbeke. Their aim? - To reach the port at Agaete as soon as possible in order to capitalise on some rest before the Fred Olsen to Tenerife at 06:00. This is the brutality of the Audax Pace: any opportunity for rest is dictated by the ferry times. It's expected that the front four will push through the night to reach the port in the early hours. 

There's some unfortunate tyre issues for Maarten. Fingers crossed the double sided patch hack holds. Maarten isn't the only one with tyre issues, Amy Holman managed to pick up a large nail which scuppered the tubeless setup, so a tube was sacrified to keep her rolling. 

![IMG 4486](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/47b3UK02aXD5EoMWAc0a47/9eaf5133b81ba87a32d4515caac0d77f/IMG_4486.jpg)

A short way back, Cecilia Thomasson has overcome minor mechanicals and is having a strong ride. She's opted to sleep in San Bartolome, Gran Canaria with 357km under her belt. A sensible choice; with the slow going rocky section of Gran Canaria to come, she'll be able to tackle this in daylight even if it means sacrificing any chances of making the 06:00 ferry. We're excited to see Cecilia's prowess in the ultra distance discipline, which isn't a big surprise given her palmarès as Swedish MTB orienteering competitor and World Champion (2013 and 2014). 

The chasing pack: earlier today 7 riders took the 19:00 ferry to Gran Canaria, among them Guillaume Bourgeois and Steve Morabito who are riding together on this adventure in celebration of their 40th year. The pair look to have found a nice grassy spot to sleep right by the port at La Palma. This leaves ten riders currently venturing through the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, a UNESCO World Heritage site and landscape made of ravines, volcanic formations, with endless gravel switchbacks. 

General the theme of the day: lung busting pushing up loose scree. 

![2dd3d416-7768-4aa5-a4f0-0561ec3fcdbc](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/11noEDd2o8nXlLWCg6VsXK/8a456c16f5da5da13983a3c28aa1794a/2dd3d416-7768-4aa5-a4f0-0561ec3fcdbc.JPG)

At this point the field has been roughly split in two, the second half a group of 14 riders in Fuerteventura who will be constrained to the delights of Morro Jable port tonight. This is a perfect opportunity to rest and regroup before the AM ferry to Gran Canaria, and the mountains beyond. 

Scratch report: Cap 272 Ive Van Nuffelen. Ive crashed yesterday in Lanzarote. After a swift visit to the Doctor, he was advised not to continue. Wishing a quick recovery to Ive. 

![PHOTO-2023-12-04-09-16-57](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/aDmXpdLOhS1mZA0gLXJIV/2c36293e997c9292ba799e64c9e0f5c6/PHOTO-2023-12-04-09-16-57.jpg)

Good Morning from Las Canarias. There's been a shake up overnight; some Audaxers opted to sleep on the beach or the ferry dock and others have pushed on through the night. Or rather, pushed on through the mud. For the latter, they experienced the whole of Fuerteventura in darkness and the sleep demons will no doubt be rearing their ugly heads at some point today. 

![0830fab2-5432-4640-a7d3-11d93f05630b](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/24wMJ0cOUs0gsWpen7SAay/2a6f94eb35bab9c8f2a914df83356e53/0830fab2-5432-4640-a7d3-11d93f05630b.JPG)

The Fred Olsen to Gran Canaria departed on the dot of 08:00. A handful of riders were on it, including Cecilia Thomasson who made the ferry by the skin of her teeth with 5 minutes to spare. She had a stuck in the mud case during the night, and looks to have carried plenty of the stuff onto the ferry with her. Her cassette is having a moment, but hopefully Las Palmas will bring up the goods with a bike shop to get her rolling again. On a side note, Cecilia entered the Clase Oro (First Class) accidentally. She was soon kicked out, but staff were kind enough to offer a towel upon seeing the state of her legs. I suspect that first class towel will never be white again.

![3a40d5f9-5a95-4545-be7a-f0bb53cfd4f3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2BOazpoINm51x4IdVQKWyt/6dd0c1980549490c986e6cec14c427c2/3a40d5f9-5a95-4545-be7a-f0bb53cfd4f3.JPG)

One rider to watch out for is Adam Palin, a GranGuanche veteran. Adam is travelling super light, although perhaps not so light now since picking up plenty of mud during the night shift across Fuerteventura. I'm not sure Adam is even carrying a sleeping bag, instead opting for the ferry power nap strategy as pictured. 

![b8ce7f51-7301-4e2e-9d7d-20477d9dd06e](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2qfBCNyYqMGdS9AaNtttyZ/b63e80b332522f036befebd4c7a9be48/b8ce7f51-7301-4e2e-9d7d-20477d9dd06e.JPG)

Finally, a shout out to Amy Holman who has chosen to enjoy Fuerteventura in daylight, having hit the jackpot bivvy with a beach that had outdoor showers. An experienced MTBer, this is Amy's first ultra endurance event and she's in strong form. Allez Allez!

![IMG 4462](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3ZfmWA6qOq59H1Z2C0Q2om/e9d32342ff52b964aa36fd8edb48a362/IMG_4462.jpg)


At noon today, 28 riders departed from Orzola in search of Canarian gravel dreams. A bike-packing paradise, this surreal place promises variety like no other; from desert-like landscapes to lush pastures via fog laden rain forests and rocky hike-a-bike, I imagine it's impossible to get bored with the ever changing terrain.   

So let's get into it, who are the early Audax pacers and who's opted for a bed and crossing to Fuerteventura in the morning? Ten riders made it time for the final ferry crossing at 20:00, with Adam Palin and Emilio Castro Crecente leading the way as they push onto the night across Fuerteventura. Another 6 have also committed to ride all night in order to make the morning ferry at 8am. 

The Most Unfortunate Start Award goes to... David Masip. After just 1km, David suffered a flat that he couldn't fix. He ended up hitchhiking to Decathlon in Arrecife and made it back to the starting line within three hours, bringing with him plenty of race cheer and a strong commitment to finish (and plenty of spare tubes, I hope). Kudos David! 

Let's have a shout out for Steve Morabito, former professional road racer who competed professionally for the Phonak, Astana, BMC Racing Team and Groupama–FDJ teams. Steve retired in 2019, so this will be holiday mode engaged for the Swiss. He has successfully completed Stage 1 and has taken the sensible option of an overnight rest in Playa Blanca before the morning ferry to Fuerteventura.

That's all for Day 1, check back tomorrow for further updates as the riders move onto Stages 2 and 3 - Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. 

![50641ca7-a46c-40d8-98a2-c8d637f089bc](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1AKeGDz3d7WXDqtCQzIZwu/d479e0464194b0f766bee4e4397f8c40/50641ca7-a46c-40d8-98a2-c8d637f089bc.JPG)

Nicky Shaw

GranGuanche Audax Trail 2023 Tracking and Commentary: This third edition is a self-supported, single-stage, fixed-route, endurance cycling event across the Canary Islands; an unpaved route with considerable elevation gain. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

GranGuanche Audax Trail 2023 Tracking

The third edition of the Granguanche Audax Trail is a self-supported, single-stage, fixed-route, endurance cycling event across the Canary Islands; an unpaved route with considerable elevation gain. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

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GranGuanche Audax Trail 2023

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