Ferals & donkeys

After our epicurean extravaganza on stage two, last nights’ accommodation kept our feet firmly planted on the ground ahead of stage 3.

For our last evening in Sardinia, we stayed in a trailer park with a bunch of Frenchmen in Citroën tin donkeys. We were repeatedly lulled to sleep by the sound of waves crashing gently on the beach before being startled awake again by frequent, vicious cat fights.

By early morning the feline free-for-alls were drowning out any remnants of the beachside serenity we had previously found so charming. We finally arose to find the Frenchmen feeding the cats - perhaps as a preemptive peace offering for a decent sleep that evening.

Seaside blues

We left early with a plan to shoot the series of switchbacks at Capo Boi. I was pretty sure this would mean we would miss the finish for the second stage in a row. However, after further honing his already considerable driving skills on stage 2, Stuntman Mike gave it a nudge.

We struck trouble almost immediately - the detour was blocked by an ambulance that cost us nearly 5 mins. Already we could see the helicopter ahead.

Sketchy sheep

Getting back on the road and using the blue flashing lights of the lunatic ambulance as a sweeper, we sped along through a series of tunnels until it got, frankly, too dangerous on unfamiliar roads and we dropped back.

Ahead of us the highway was closed, so we took a secondary road only to find it clogged with sheep. Surely now we had no chance, and I half thought about throwing in the towel. Still, I remembered a quote from fellow photographer Andrea - "everyday we push harder". And so we did.

Boom or bust

By sheer dumb luck, the secondary road turned out to be our stroke of genius. The gamble worked, allowing us to pass a row of banked-up cars and jump on the back of a Giro Club car. Boom - we were back in the game, speeding towards the finish.

I was a little worried as I could see the road closure car up ahead and, technically, we were not allowed to be behind it. However, we managed to safely pass and I'm relieved to announce that my accreditation has not, to this point, been revoked.

So, we made it to the finish - much to the surprise (or chagrin) of the other photographers. But, hey, you’ve gotta risk it for the biscuit (or, in this case, biscotti)!

GET DAILY UPDATES FROM THE CARAVAN

Get each stage delivered straight to your inbox