Evacuated due to fires

But, the race is still on?1

It’s 21:03 on Friday night and I’m lying on the floor of an Airbnb which isn’t mine. We evacuated our place five or six hours ago due to fires. We’re safe, let me be clear.

There are wildfires on the edge of town, people are getting evacuated big time and I won’t go outside without a mask, but the race is still on.

This blog is a quick one, with my perspective. I will not be racing tomorrow.

It’s smoky as hell, people’s houses are burning down and the emergency services are at a stretch. We’re stressed about a bike race?

On the ground here people’s phones are running off the hook. Everyone wants everyone else’s opinion. Who’s going to start, who’s not? What’s safe? What’s the AQI?

It doesn’t bloody matter.

I’ve got a pretty good perspective on this. I’m four and a half thousand miles away from home and by the end of this week I’ll be almost three grand down. But, come on?! If I were to start, and it’s smoky then what happens to my lungs? There are so many ifs.

As the fire started.

I think this is a decision of two halves in the pro field. There are those that are safe in sponsorship contracts, those who can afford to skip the race and don’t have sponsor pressure. Then, there are those that think if they race, and if they win, then it’s worth something financially in contracts.

They're not wrong. If you win Mid South then maybe it is worth something in contracts. Maybe it is worth another five of ten grand. But, that shouldn’t be the decision here.

Hell, AQI shouldn’t even be the bloody decision.

When half the racers I know can’t stay in their hotels or AirBnBs because of evacuations then why the bloody hell is the race still on?

Full disclosure. I called Jeff at Panaracer, and texted Neil at ENVE - my two sponsors who are awake at this time on a Friday night. They both told me they’d support me 100% on my choice and I know my sponsors in Europe are the same.

Health comes first. Maybe the wind does blow in the other way and the AQI comes good. Maybe the emergency services are fine. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

But, all of my belongings are in the back of someone’s car, I don’t know if I can go back to my AirBnB and why the heck are we thinking about the race?

I love the Mid South Gravel, but they’ve missed the mark on this one. It should’ve been cancelled.

Thanks for reading.

Update at 23:58: They just officially cancelled the race. I mean, obviously it’s the right decision. Just many, many hours too late. We’re back in our Airbnb but with our bags packed ready to go if anything happens overnight. Much more to come on this one.