The Road Race...No Spectators Allowed....

The men’s and women’s cycling road race was unlike anything Dan has seen. The start/ finish line was about 500 metres from the hotel so he thought he would walk...well that wasn’t going to be allowed.... They wouldn’t let anyone by. In all of his career he has never seen a race like this and neither have the athletes. There was no one allowed by the track. Usually these are sports “for the people” who don’t have money so would have access to watch something like this. They wouldn’t let anyone around the track at all, so no spectators. One of the athletes mentioned that it was like running in a prison. The photographers were allowed access within a 100 ft area and didn’t have good views plus there were obstacles. The woman’s race was 8 laps and after 6 they finally let the photographers cross the track and gave them a little more freedom of movement.


Backgrounds are important in pictures like this - but the dilemma is how to get a photo position in these circumstances which would provide a sense of place etc.

For the men’s race, he knew where he wanted to be and was determined...India Gate - a monument to the WW1 would be good. A photo marshall finally escorted him and another photographer to this place. The other photographer was from Scotland, so they talked about our trip next year to Scotland...and told Dan we would all have dinner together. Traveling is so much about the people you meet along the way...

It is so hot the pavement is melting.... he drank 8 bottles of water and never had to hit a washroom.

He said he must have walked about 10 miles today with his equipment. He also took too much but wasn’t sure where he would end up so took everything to be safe.

Dan got to a point when he was walking back that he started shaking...a BBC cameraman noticed him walking strange and rescued him...he gave him some water and cookies.

So dusty – sand is grinding in his teeth...

Tonight he was invited to the Taj Mahal Hotel for dinner.

For more information and more of Dan's pictures click here.