Οι δικές μας πληροφορίες από τα "μέσα" τα λένε λίγο διαφορετικά και αναφέρουν πως ο Steffen τα 'χε δει όλα και δεν είχε καθολου κουράγια. Όταν του συνέβησαν τα κλαταρίσματα και τα βιαστικά λάθη, μετά περίμενε την Lael γιατί έβλεπε να χάνεται ο αγώνας και της πρότεινε να πάνε μαζί στη γραμμή του τερματισμού. Έτσι θα φαινόταν πως κι οι δυό πατάνε τη γραμμή αλλά στη πραγματικότητα θα φαινόταν σαν ο άντρακλας να "παραχώρησε" τη πρωτιά λόγω ευγένειας στη γυναίκα. Με άλλα λόγια ο Steffen είχε κλάσει πατάτες κι έπαιξε ένα τελευταίο χαρτί γιατι τα λεφτα πολλοι εμισησαν.
WILCOX: I had been chasing this guy for two weeks basically. I’d never seen him, never met him, didn’t know what he looked like. But everyone is telling me, ‘Steffen is about 50 miles in front of you.’ They can watch how we’re doing. We have no idea how the other person’s doing. You’re just kind of out there by yourself. And then, in the middle of the night, the day of the end of the race, I took a cat nap for about half an hour and then I got up to ride. I saw a light coming towards me and it was all dark otherwise. We’re in really rural Virginia. And I thought, ‘Who is that?’ Somebody on a bike with a really bright light. When I caught up to him, we crossed paths and then he turned around and started riding the same direction as me. And I looked over at him and, you know, he looks like a racer. And I asked, ‘What’s your name?’ and he said ‘Steffen.’ And all of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is the guy I’ve been chasing.’ So I just took off and started sprinting away. And he was of course holding on; we’re both sprinting side by side through basically farmlands in Virginia in the middle of the night. And we’re making turns there’s stop signs. I was riding really aggressively just ’cause I was giving it my all. But at the same time, we’re 130 miles from the finish. So, I knew that I wasn’t gonna be able to sprint for 130 miles. I took a wrong turn on the track. I wasn’t focused enough on the map, and I turned to the left. And he said, ‘It’s to the right!’ And he kind of slowed down for me to catch up. And he said. ‘I want to talk to you for a minute. We’ve been battling for two weeks. Why don’t we just finish this together?’ And I said ‘No way. This is a race. I’m gonna finish it.’ So I just kept riding hard. We rode together for a couple more minutes and then he dropped off. And I never saw him again.
Τερμάτισε και η εκπληκτική Sara Hammond από την Αυστραλία η οποία τις πρώτες 4 μέρες ήταν στην πρώτη θέση. Ένα λάθος στην πλοήγηση, της κόστισε 120 χιλιόμετρα και 5 ώρες παραπάνω ποδηλασία. Έχασε το ηθικό της προσωρινά, αλλά τελικά τα κατάφερε!!
Η επιστροφή του Steffen Streich στην Ελλάδα είναι γεγονός. Δεν ξέρω πόσοι πήγαν να τον υποδεχτούν. Ελπίζω να παραβρέθηκαν αρκετοί. Η ενδυμασία του, θα προκαλέσει "ένα πρήξιμο χαμηλά" σε κάποιους αλλά τι να κάνουμε.
Ειδική αναφορά πρέπει να γίνει στον Lee Fancourt ο οποίος αντιμετώπισε πάρα πολλές δυσκολίες (σωματικές) και ατυχίες (τεχνικές), αλλά με δύναμη ψυχής κατάφερε να τερματίσει πριν από μερικές ώρες!
WILCOX: I had been chasing this guy for two weeks basically. I’d never seen him, never met him, didn’t know what he looked like. But everyone is telling me, ‘Steffen is about 50 miles in front of you.’ They can watch how we’re doing. We have no idea how the other person’s doing. You’re just kind of out there by yourself. And then, in the middle of the night, the day of the end of the race, I took a cat nap for about half an hour and then I got up to ride. I saw a light coming towards me and it was all dark otherwise. We’re in really rural Virginia. And I thought, ‘Who is that?’ Somebody on a bike with a really bright light. When I caught up to him, we crossed paths and then he turned around and started riding the same direction as me. And I looked over at him and, you know, he looks like a racer. And I asked, ‘What’s your name?’ and he said ‘Steffen.’ And all of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is the guy I’ve been chasing.’ So I just took off and started sprinting away. And he was of course holding on; we’re both sprinting side by side through basically farmlands in Virginia in the middle of the night. And we’re making turns there’s stop signs. I was riding really aggressively just ’cause I was giving it my all. But at the same time, we’re 130 miles from the finish. So, I knew that I wasn’t gonna be able to sprint for 130 miles. I took a wrong turn on the track. I wasn’t focused enough on the map, and I turned to the left. And he said, ‘It’s to the right!’ And he kind of slowed down for me to catch up. And he said. ‘I want to talk to you for a minute. We’ve been battling for two weeks. Why don’t we just finish this together?’ And I said ‘No way. This is a race. I’m gonna finish it.’ So I just kept riding hard. We rode together for a couple more minutes and then he dropped off. And I never saw him again.
Τερμάτισε και η εκπληκτική Sara Hammond από την Αυστραλία η οποία τις πρώτες 4 μέρες ήταν στην πρώτη θέση. Ένα λάθος στην πλοήγηση, της κόστισε 120 χιλιόμετρα και 5 ώρες παραπάνω ποδηλασία. Έχασε το ηθικό της προσωρινά, αλλά τελικά τα κατάφερε!!
Η επιστροφή του Steffen Streich στην Ελλάδα είναι γεγονός. Δεν ξέρω πόσοι πήγαν να τον υποδεχτούν. Ελπίζω να παραβρέθηκαν αρκετοί. Η ενδυμασία του, θα προκαλέσει "ένα πρήξιμο χαμηλά" σε κάποιους αλλά τι να κάνουμε.
Ειδική αναφορά πρέπει να γίνει στον Lee Fancourt ο οποίος αντιμετώπισε πάρα πολλές δυσκολίες (σωματικές) και ατυχίες (τεχνικές), αλλά με δύναμη ψυχής κατάφερε να τερματίσει πριν από μερικές ώρες!
http://www.kathimerini.gr/870900/article/epikairothta/ellada/o-germanos-...
http://transambikerace.com/results/