Back in our November, 1999, issue, we featured an interview with Emmanuel "Manny" Gentinetta, an 18-year-old cyclist who passed through Mazatlán on his journey "Biking It Solo" from one end of the Pan-American Highway-- in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska-- to the other-- in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. After 261 days (211 of which were spent riding) and 15,233.98 miles, Manny finally reached his goal-- and broke the world record in the process. With plenty of support from family, friends and well-wishers, Manny managed to complete the last stretch of the Pan-Am Highway on March 9. Family, media and a crowd of enthusiastic strangers met Manny at the end of the Pan-American Highway in Lapataia Bay, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Manny was able to capture some of the excitement of his final day in his journal entries: "My family was waving a BIKE IT SOLO and a SOLO EN BICI flag. Dad honked and honked, until smoke came out of the circuits and the horn honked no more. I rode super fast... Lapataia 4 km. I hit those brakes... The road will end. I rode slow, and slower... The sign indicating the end of

the road could be around any corner now. And there it was, 400 feet ahead. I cried. I cried and did not peddle... I am happy that I've made it, but sad the trip is over... I'd thought of this moment before. Lift my bike? Ride in a circle? Skid by the sign? I just cried, rode slowly up to the wooden sign, leaned up against it without getting off the bike and turned off my bike computer. This is it. This is how you Ride the Pan-American Highway. So many places, so many friends. So many times that I missed my friends and family. So much time alone, with the company of God by my side. And such good company He is. He allowed me to make it." Upon completion of his trip across the longest road in the world, Manny managed to break two world records: he is both the youngest and the fastest man in history to bike the Pan-American Highway (the previous record was accomplished in 264 days). An extensive record of journal entries, photos and further information is available via Manny's website www.bikeitsolo.com. His future plans include releasing a book, Bike It Solo, and studying Physics at Stanford University. As Manny's father told his son, "The trip never ends."