71.75 km – 10:10 ‘
Top starting at 7:30 this morning. Blue skies and wind are always waiting for you, as for several days now. This combo sun / wind is also very treacherous, and Serge took sacred sunburn on the calves yesterday.
We begin our stage in the heart of Centralia. Soon we leave the city to be in countryside. Unlike Tennessee or Kentucky, here the rural areas are almost exclusively reserved for agriculture. Nothing is left to chance and every piece of land is cultivated. We advance through huge fields bordered by roads all perpendicular to each other.
Centralia and Carlyle will be the only two cities that will cross today.
Philip puts his short on to run with Serge for the next 25 kilometers.
The presence of The Ouchs allows us to René and me blowing, and benefit from additional support. Since the departure of Laure and all the constraints involved, this is not denial.
Serge will take advantage of these very quiet country roads to alternate his side of running. Because there is no traffic on this very minor road, Serge can run once on left side as usal and once on right side to change of sloping profile. Serge has a fragile right ankle and he can avoid pain today.
Serge ends on a long straight as he loves, and stops his tracker not so far of Troy where we sleep tonight.
I talked yesterday of the Mississippi River, Tomorrow we will be along this mythic river at the end of the stage.Serge also cross an old friend during the next day: Route 66.