A broken wheel. Rain, floods and the unforgiving High Atlas. Joel’s Mines & Dunes adventure ends at km 932.
1,530 km on the road route was the goal. Joel made it to kilometre 932 before the harsh conditions in Morocco’s High Atlas brought his ride to an end.
The mountains had already tested him in every possible way. In Chefchaouen, Joel got seriously sick, leaving him struggling to recover. Day 2 was extremely tough, with his body still not fully back on track and huge amounts of elevation to tackle. By Day 3, things were slowly improving. And on Day 4, he finally found his rhythm again. The legs were coming around, the pace was building, and the plan for the final days was clear.
Then came the High Atlas.
Rain, flooded roads and rough tracks covered in mud and stones turned the route into a real battle. In these brutal conditions, Joel’s wheel broke — a mechanical failure caused by the unforgiving terrain. At kilometre 932, with no viable solution available in the short time remaining, he had to make the difficult decision to scratch.
932 km ridden. 598 km still to go. One adventure cut short by the mountains.
It’s never easy to stop when you’ve fought so hard to get back on track. Joel had overcome illness, pushed through exhausting climbs and finally found his flow again. But in the mountains, sometimes even the strongest determination can’t overcome the conditions.
Joel, respect for the effort, the resilience and the fight. The finish line may have remained out of reach this time, but 932 km of Mines & Dunes is a serious achievement.
The mountains had the last word this time.
Photos: Joel at checkpoint Chefchaouen and checkpoint Ahouli Mines and on the road after the start and towards Midelt.
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