Saint Denis – Sainte Rose
59,24km en 6H10′
6H45, the start at Saint Gilles to reach le Barachois quarter of Saint Denis. There was torrential rain all night and the four-lane coastal road was reduced (2 lanes on the cliff side were closed). Traffic at that early hour was smooth and at 7H15 we arrived for a photo shoot with Serge, the team and a few partners.
8H00, breakfast near the starting point for family, friends and partners. It’s rather difficult for me to make a long list and name everyone because one, I might bore you; two, I might still be working at it an hour later and three, I might forget someone. The photos and videos will speak for themselves.
In any case, many of the people invited did not show up and guess why…. Because of the bad weather.
8H45 to 9H50: the press and photos under shelter.
9H50: preparation of the feet, choice of Pro Touch shoes, which have covered 1500 km since mid-January. Serge will wear a back pack with his precious GPS beacon which will allow you to track him. The only things Google Maps will not give you are: the atmosphere, the temperature, the smiles and the emotion.
Nobody ran the entire stage with Serge. Daniel stopped after Saint Benoit, Didier was happy, Christophe wearing flip-flops held on for quite a distance. Focus on Cécile and the association Run Handi Move which covered 21km in particularly difficult conditions, guess why —- the rain.
The photos and the images don’t do justice to the beauty of the island; however, that should not discourage you from coming to Reunion Island. A bright spot this afternoon allowed us to lift our gaze from the road to admire the fields of sugar cane, under huge clouds hanging on the mountains and which the sun tried its best to pierce.
But there was little time for contemplation due to the stress of the start and the attention that was necessary once the northern coastal road was behind us. Yes, we were disappointed but we kept our good mood and headed for Sainte Rose. A few runners, Philippe, Pierre and Martine took the train on the second part of our route.
A surprise: Pascal and Philippe arrived from France, unannounced and fresh off the plane at 7H40 they were at the start. A mirage in flesh and blood; how they kept their arrival a secret is incredible. Philippe Moreau of the No Limit Team and Pascal Pottier, director of Leclerc Center in Fécamp.
Intensity: The island is intense, the heat is intense, the rain is intense, the intermix is intense, the omnipresence of Nature is intense, the cultural diversity is intense, the multiplicity of climates is intense, the ever present kindness is also intense. Reunion is an intense Island and today Serge ran at an intense rhythm. Was Serge bewitched by the intensity?
