Day 20: Battle Mountain, NV

Humblest and most grovelling apologies for the late arrival of the previous instalment of thee Automatic Diary.  I could make excuses, such as the lame requirement I seem to have developed for some of life's little luxuries such as food and the fact that the staff of the Ming Dynasty were not screeching around their restaurant on roller blades while on crystal meth.  Or the fact that teh Intarwebs in the Super 8 are slower than Uncle Marvo's pipe when "Thick Cambridge Herberts™" are downloading his The Product.  I should abdicate my position as the hardest-working man in show-business forthwith and

(six hours later)

Morning weather was quieter than yesterday and the qualifying sessions and 5 mile morning runs went off on schedule.  Which is nice.  Alan Grace finally got a complete run, in spite of having been blown clean off the road while practising yesterday afternoon, clocking 30.33 mph.  Orin Peters was delighted with his 40.9 and is actively seeking a bigger chainring.  Alexey Kiristayev and Vadim Dunayev both ran successfully, if a little slowly, in Tetiva 2.

Slippery Slug / Alan Grace

The wind was uncooperative for the five mile runs, though Barbara did a fine and legal 72.3 mph.  Alexey qualified for a Hat with a 52.3, but Christien Veelenturf crashed with about two miles to run.  She was unhurt and the bike seems only to have cosmetic damage.  It later transpired that a big blob of grease, probably from a truck axle, may have been the cause.

Velox IV / Christien Veelenturf - still upright at this point

Peter Borenstadt does not, this afternoon, look best pleased at having had an hour-long work-related phone call about Stuffs He's Already Explained. Ironically the car that parked up right by where he was sitting at the time bore the licence plate "GRUMPEY".

By the time we return to 305 for the evening runs, some Banksy wannabe has added the phrase or saying "TRES SALE" to the Mudstang's passenger door. This in addition to the Heavy Metal Umlaut added by John Jackson to yesterday's effort.  The French language of the former is clearly a feeble attempt by the Base Netherlanders to foist the blame on the innocent Julius and Barbara.

Today I am to be a Chase Vehicle Official, which means I am unable to take many pictures.  We only ran nine machines in total tonight as Alexey crashed at ~55 mph, Eta digested a spoke on its first run and Christien elected not to run at all.  Quickest of all was Rik Houwers at 75 and some change, with Jan-Marcel improving to 72 and Gareth Hanks to 70+.  Barbara complained of Noises Off, while Jan-Marcel had his chain fall off no fewer than three times; each time he managed to sort it out while still moving.  In a camera bike. The Mgt has been negotiating with the Nevada Department of Transportation with a view to the provision of a "chain-up area" handily placed in just the right spot to allow a dust and cack-free place to prepare at the start of the short course.  Jan-Marcel retorted that we would need three.

Thomas supports a knackered Jan-Marcel back to thee Rug ov Recovery

Some clever tactical nous displayed by J-M, though, to get a place in the last session when Eta b0rked down.

I am tired and need Proper Tea.  And sleep.  Bis morgen.

On things falling apart and the Failure to hold of the Centre: Light-fingered locals had already robbed us of a Several of bales of hay, which we got cheap because they were mouldy.  I hope you have to stay up half the night nursing your cow, you thieving little toerag.  The remaining bales have been marked with unappetising spray paint. We suspect that the pikeys cut the zip-ties holding up half the distance marker signs in revenge. The legs for the road closure signs are also falling to bits and need Twig Technology to help them stay upright and the tripod supporting the timing station's anemometer has had to be mended using a G-clamp borrowed from the Toronto PSOs.  Dere Santa, plz can we haz a new 1 kthxbai.

We have found a Scotsman.  Has anyone lost one?