46 AUGUST 2019
DÉFI GRUISSAN 2019
DAY 4 – SUNDAY 2ND JUNE
No wind today and the feeling that at least half of the 1200 competitors
had left already. The prize giving was held around 2 p.m. and then the
frantic packing up began. Somehow it’s much easier to set up a beautiful
stand than pack it all back into a van at the end of the event. Eventually
we stuff it all inside and after a nice dinner enjoyed a relaxed (but still full
power) wrap party with the organizers and many of the top riders. Around
10 p.m., French rider, Thomas Goyard arrived fresh from his first PWA
win, trophy in hand and celebrated by spraying champagne over the largely
French crowd. I personally ended up sat on a table with the lovely Karo and
the legendary 3x MotoGP Vice Champion Dani Pedrosa, who is apparently
a keen windsurfer and friends of Bjorn through Red Bull. He is certainly one
of the smaller sportspeople I have ever met, and when he was stood next to
the colossal form of Bjorn it was quite a sight!
The evening ended and Matteo decided to move the van back to the
house for an early getaway in the morning. Unfortunately having been sat
still for the best part of 2 weeks (it had been driven down for the Kite Défi
the week before) the battery was dead. Unwisely we decided to try and bump
start it, and gave the wheel to Matteo’s girlfriend. She couldn’t see anything
through the misted up windows and whilst we pushed at breakneck speed,
she steered straight into the one and only tree in the car park! Luckily there
was not much damage, but the battery was now so dead it needed jump
leads. Costa Brava winner Thomas Goyard arrived on cue with a set of leads
and we eventually got it going and arrived back home. I finally hit the sack
at 3 a.m., knowing that in 3 hours I needed to be on my way to Barcelona
airport again!
DAY 5 – MONDAY 3RD JUNE
I was not too happy as my alarm sounded at 6 a.m., but I also know that
missing my flight would be a much bigger problem so I fought through
the tiredness, grabbed a coffee and pain-au-chocolate and set off back to
Barcelona airport.
However you look at it, the Défi is absolute punishment, but punishment
in a good way. I have never run a marathon, but I would imagine the feeling
is similar. Exhausted, legs destroyed and needing a week to recover... but
at the same time a hugely satisfying sense of accomplishment. This year the
exhaustion came slightly less from the sailing, but more from the whole
experience. The racing, the parties, the show, but this time I only needed 1
or 2 days to recover. The funny thing is that as you leave the event, all you
think about is coming back next year. Especially this time, as next year is one
that cannot be missed, the 20th anniversary, it’s going to be HUGE!“ALL YOU THINK ABOUT IS
COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.” John on the shandy!
PHOTO Jean Souville.John giving it full welly!
PHOTO Jean Souville.