Here begins the chronicle of Daniel Albero in the Dakar 2020. Told in the first person and in different deliveries exclusively for the followers of the project.
Original text: Daniel Albero (@undiabeticoeneldakar)
Transcription: Jordi Company (@Company_Vidal)
Like every year -and with this one go two- I am about to write the chronicle of what has been our participation in the Dakar Rally 2020. Some letters that serve as anesthesia in these historic days marked by the coronavirus. Let’s go for a few moments to close our eyes and transport ourselves until December 31, 2019. We could, even look back even further and talk about all the months of prior preparation that have allowed us to be on the starting line of Yeda (Jeddah) on January 5, 2020 -the best Christmas gift!- but wow, Let’s go back to the last day of the year.
We leave Carcaixent (Valencia) by car. I go with my family, Paco Folgado and Pilar -his wife- as it is customary. Although this year I will not be alone in the desert. this year i have a team that will accompany me on this adventure that opens in a new continent as we debuted in our particular Dakar, with many more guarantees and security than the last edition of 2019. Kike Belenguer, Jairo Gonzalez, Richard Martínez and Octavio Bertolín: this is my team. A team of mechanics communication professionals and above all, friends. this will be my family for the next three weeks. I can never thank you all enough what we have experienced together. Thanks!
Ugh, I roll up! Let’s go back at December 31…
We left Adolfo airport Suárez-Madrid Barajas at 3:30 p.m. Wow, it will be the first time I celebrate the New Year’s Eve riding on a plane. Come on Jairo, Kike and I –Richar and Octavio they will arrive in a couple of days- we stretch our legs, close our eyes and… Yeda! We are here. A strange but recognizable feeling runs through my stomach. A mixture of illusion, responsibility and respect towards all people who have fought with me for so long to be here again. Will not be the first time this feeling manifests itself during the rally.
The Crown Town Hotel is becomes our home for the next four days until the start of the proof. Here we can carry out the final steps necessary to start the tests with the necessary security and that, in addition, serves as a refuge for control my diabetes. This year, in this, I am not alone either. Dr. Teresa Martínez -one of the best endocrinologists in our country- will accompany me during the whole test remotely monitoring my diabetes. How? well among others things, with technologies such as the latest and most compact insulin pump in the market provided by Jesus, from YPSOMED. I must confess that at first I was too convinced to use this ‘gadget’, but without a doubt -and after much discussion with these two great professionals – we decided that it was the most comfortable option to compete, and above all, the safest. This In this way, Dr. Martínez could know about my blood glucose levels almost real time, adjust my treatment and propose new proposals to improve the future of any and all candy warriors who wage our particular battle against T1D every day. A hug, and infinite thanks to Teresa and Jesus. Without you, this neither it could have been possible…
Where he was going? Make a review:
We have the hotel for these days.
We have DT1 under control.
My team has already reached the full.
What are we missing?
Oh, sure! ¡‘Azucarilla’!
She left for Arabia many weeks before us, and I must confess that I am dying to know how it is. This feeling returns to my stomach. Along with the whole team assistance ‘Pedregà Team’ -thank you for your support throughout the Dakar!- is our motorcycle. We connect cables, we start and we go to the park closed. How I longed for you, ‘Azucarilla’! let’s live a few days fantastic… I promise.
Closed park. we prepare it everything for the technical verifications. We pick up our rental car for that the team can move throughout the rally –it cost us a lot, but we managed it-, we all prepared the necessary gear for the thirteen days that this Dakar 2020 will last and we got some cards for our phones. It may seem like a bullshit, but you don’t know how important it is to be connected to each other and, of course, with ours that are thousands of kilometers away. With the Homework done, we’re going to bed.
Everything starts tomorrow. Returns
that stomach feeling…
Algo me dice que este Dakar será muy intenso.
(To be continue)
