Punch line: I scratched after about 13 hours of racing, in 8th position, 2.5 hours ahead of schedule despite a 45-minute trailside attempt at repairing my front brake, which I had been finicky with since about mile 20. Six other riders had stopped at a motel in town, but I was planning to swallow the next 40–80 miles of paved road through the night. I knew my Donkey and big gears had a more than unfair advantage then.