Gabon. The country of “La Tropicale Amissa Bongo” and my first professional UCI experience. One thing I knew for certain was, it would be unlike anything I’ve ever seen or done before.
This is part one of a three part series on La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, UCI race in Gabon. Part One consisted of “The Arrival“; Part Two consists of the “Racing in Gabon“; Part Three will consist of my “Closing Thoughts.“
Part 1 โ The Arrival
I was keen to perform for my teammates, who were all strong and well versed in the professional way of life. They had huge levels of experience and confidence in themselves and living the life of a pro. For me it would become the perfect environment to spend the week learning and watching with googly eyes. Absorbing and watching in awe of their inspirational and charismatic characters.
I did have a few nerves about the host country stemming from the preconceptions of illnesses and bugs present on the African continent, due to the number of vaccines required to reduce risks during our stay. For example, Yellow Fever Vaccine is required to enter even the country. Hep A & B are strongly advised; alongside Typhoid and an up to date Tetanus Jab.
However, despite all these preconceptions about what the experience is going to be like. I was very keen to keep an open mind especially in the early days when taking in the culture I would be exposed to in Gabon. I can safely say editing this piece, I am very keen to return to this race and country in the future.
The Airport
Immediately, on landing in Gabon I could get a sense of the hustle and bustle that would be seen consistently throughout the week. In the airport I could only see one baggage reclaim belt for the long haul flight we had been sitting on for 7h. There were bags clingfilmed shut. I have my suspicions as to the purpose of doing this, but didn’t think much of it when travelling to Gabon. More for the return journey. The chaos ensued with passport control effectively confiscating all the passports of the riders who participated in the race. It was so quick, and everyone complied that I had no time to even ask the question “why?” I initially joked that โwell if I lost the passport then I would get a fresh passport without any stamps in for the โ90 day rule.โโ Thankfully we would see these later at the Hotel Radisson Park Inn, the location of our first night in Gabon. Stepping out of the plane, I instantly felt the heat and humidity of the surrounding environment. Without seeing the vast rainforest, you knew you were standing in the jungle on the equator of the World.
Having come from Spain, you would have thought a mild transition. You think wrong. The wind was a bitter one all week long, with gusts over 60 km/h. So when we landed in Gabon the heat โ as with travelling to Spain during the Summer โ slapped you round the face, almost forcing you to take a step backward. The humid climate was increased by the abundance of people standing in close quarters with each other. Brushing shoulders, and checking pockets regularly.
Despite the chaotic nature of the baggage reclaim; it quickly became clear that the culture was one of “just let it flow.” You could see in the way the people walked in Libreville that it was a laid back affair. In response to this way of walking and talking, I was implementing the mindset of “ask no questions, just let it flow. The race organisation is a well oiled system which has been putting on this race for 15 years prior to the current edition. Everything will work out just fine,โ I thought. โJust be at the place they tell me at the time they want me and everything will be ok.โ
Into the Jungle
And so we would head to the jungle accompanied by a police escort to the military centre where I would experience my first propeller plane flight. A quick weigh on the scales & we would take off for the first leg of “La Tropicale Amissa Bongo” deep into the rainforest jungle seen many a time on a David Attenborough Documentary.
We were a long way from Libreville โ the capital of Gabon โ which is a modernised city, with a lot of resemblance to smaller cities across the western world. The further we got into the dense jungle the more basic the accommodation became. We would call them sheds made from sliced wood and roofs covered by corrugated metal sheets.
Toyotas were all the rage. Beat up and battered from years of use without repair. They would be lucky to pass an MOT assessment back home. Though, I do respect using your equipment until it falls apart and gives up on you. The people of Gabonโs wilderness were clearly very versatile and resourceful, as very early on I saw a trailer for the “sewage” drains presumably to restock and recycle products that had been disposed of.
The most eye-catching part of the deep jungle were the beautifully decorated and colourful cemetery tombs in the backyard of their homes, often guarded with gates. Although some were also being absorbed once again by nature, in the circle of life, allowing nature to envelop the resting place. To let the trees and plants grow around the concrete slabs slowly reabsorbing into its ecosystem. Clearly they have very close knit families having laid three of four generations to rest and whose lives were celebrated with these colourful headstones.
One thing I thought about, whilst driving along the endless roads, was stepping over the threshold and venture into the Jungle and the abundant greenery covering every square metre that stood a few feet from the edge. I swear if you did decide to go for an exploration into the rainforest you could get lost for hours. No, days. No, weeks….
