Letterkenny businessman, adventurer and endurance athlete Jason Black starts out tomorrow in his quest to conquer the Race Across Italy.
Black is rider number 24 in the ultra-cycle, which is a qualifying event for the famous Race Across America.
Black, who became the first Donegal man to stand at the summit of Everest, is attempting the Race Against Italy for the second time.
The Race Against Italy is in its fifth year.
Last year, Black was going for 30 hours 57 minutes and 35 seconds of non-stop cycling and had clocked up some 681.69 kilometres before a collapsed lung and the onset of hypothermia meant that his race was run.
“With 90 kilometres to go, the oil ran out of my engine,” Black says.
“I’d lost my breath and, with a right lung practically collapsed, I was in a terrible state and completely hypothermic.
“It was over. Physically, I couldn’t turn the paddles one more revolution.
“Since then, I’ve spent the winter months remembering and visualising that feeling of disappointment. I positively reflected, knowing that it wasn’t my physical or mental ability that stopped me – it was factors that were beyond my control.
“I have been here before, on the greatest mountain in the world, where Mother Nature rules the roost and a reminder once again that she is the real boss.
“I am ready. My last endurance race was Race around Ireland, circumnavigating 2,150km of Irish roads and hills.
“Without doubt my support crew made up of best friends, family and the immense powerful messages of support willing us on to complete the race was a vital key component.
The 46-year-old begins just after 11am tomorrow, from Silvi Marina, crossing three regions, two times into the Apennine Mountains, touching both the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Adriatic Sea.”
Race across Italy is qualifying race for the famous 8000km Race Across America and it is a World Ultracycling Cup’s Race.
The cream of the cream endurance athletes from around the world will battle it out maximising points to be crowned world champion.
Former professional cyclist Joe Barr from Donegal is also in Italy to tackle the event.
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