Two stars for desert

Preparing to set off for the second stage, Thomas Aikens (704, UK) is concentrated – the atmosphere is professional, nearly ascetic. Thomas is a London gastronomy  celebrity: this 40 years old chef, trained under  Joël Rebucheau and Gérard Boyer amongst others, owns two restaurant in Chelsa (including one ranking two stars in the Micvhelin guides.) And he’s the one cooking ! He keeps stitching his ruck-sack whilst talking to me: he’s already completely focused on the race. Thomas is a member of the FACING AFRICA team, that fights noma in Africa. 

“The first day was tough. Very tough. Even excellent training cannot prepare you for that.”

Thomas has experience when it comes to endurance : he is a cyclist  Luc Alphand, Marmotte and “Etape du Tour de France”). “I never had any foot problem before: I get here and on the first day I get two nails ripped away on one foot and a huge blood blister on the other…
The desert is stunning, incredible – and hostile. Running revealed to me its true power and danger for a human being.
My strategy for the long stage? Simple: I’ll run as long as I can and adapt to whatever happens.
I believe the heat will be my greatest obstacle, together with the type of terrain, very different from what can be found in the UK.
My deepest motivation is to test my limits, to face the limit to where I can go.
Here of course, the winner will be celebrated, but for me, the last competitor should take as much credit as the first, if not more: to last longer and make it to the finish line take huge mental strength.”