Day 10: hot, windy and hard climbs

Day 10. A long ride with 136 kms of constant climbing or fast downhills. We completed in 6 hours and 11 minutes with highest average speed of the whole week, 22 kms/h. It was also my top max speed with 78 kms/h. Which I’m happy because the hills were not that steep and I still manage that speed several times.

For the rest, I feeling the fatigue is getting to my body snd climbing is going slower. Also the ride today was marked with many deciding to make the ride shorter or flat tires or mechanical issues. Which made the group ride is smaller groups and not together.

Happy that we arrived in Vitoria with a rest day before doing the last 2 days of this trip, landing in San Sebastián for a long weekend with my girlfriend!

Pictures with comments below.

First climb of the day was nice and done quickly. 

Rolling hills looking at the nice “gold” fields in Basque Country.

We were for a time riding in the Rioja province and seen some wineries! Super hot and dry.

Top of the second climb of the day. Very hard but beautiful view.

It doesn’t look like but I was very happy to reach the top.

In the second to last climb of the day they alert us that is going to hurt. 

I was about to have a break when I saw that the top of the mountain was just a kilometer away. But hard km that was.

I was riding behind Dale against the wind when his flat tire exploded! Luckily it was a flatish road and not downhill.

Today Dale broke protocol and played music on the climbs. Metallica, Iron Maiden and Limp Biskit. It was great 😊 

Day 9: climbing with vultures

Nine days of cycling and it was our longest day so far, with 152 kms done in 6 hours and 47 minutes. We went thru 11 climbs mostly around 2 or 3 kms and 3 major ones with steeper gradients: The San Miguel de Aralar with 7 kms, the Alto de Hachueta with 15 kms and the Puerto de Lizagarra with 11 kms. All of the climbs were medium difficulty with some ramps above 10% but beautiful, with very little car traffic and full of shade. 

Today the remarkable thing was the presence of vultures. We have seen them yesterday but today they were at the top of all 3 climbs, just circling around above us. Twice they came very close, passing us within 2 meters. Big and beautiful birds. 

 I didnt feel good today with tired legs and body. So, decided to take a “rest” day and not try to push hard. Half way I even had to take painkillers to help with a headache. I enjoyed the day but after so much climbing, I finished totally empty. 

The good thing of the day today were the descents. I managed to let go my fear and went downhill as fast as I could, trusting more my bike and barely touching the breaks. Happy about that. 

Tomorrow we ride to Vitoria/Gasteiz.  130 kms and 6 major climbs. And the profile looks like a constant uphill battle. 

We have the company of vultures in the top of all 3 climbs. 

Beautiful views that the iPhone photos dont make justice 

At the distance we could see many mountains waiting for us.

Day 8: welcome to Spain

 

After a bad night sleep and a waking up with a migraine and upset stomach, we left out for our 8th day of riding in the rain. I was a little apprehensive of the day as we would climb the Port de Larrau, maybe the hardest climb of this adventure  it is a 17 kms ride that has a 9 kilometers around 11% gradient.  Super hard. For comparison, the famous Mont Ventoux hardest part is a 10 kms at 9%. The Port Larrau is also the frontier to Spain, into the Basque Country, where we hope to leave the cold and rain behind and get some warmth into our bodies. 

The climb went well and I paced myself to the top. After I warm up in the first kilometers, than things settled in a good cadence for the legs and heart.  This is a beautiful mountain and a great climb. It will be for sure one of the highlights of the trip. The rest of the day was about descending to Spain, with some fast small climbs on the way.  The descents were amazing and I finally started to get more confidence, reaching my top speed so far, around 70 kms/h. Sadly one of the guys crashed on the Larrau downhill spoked by a motorbike. Nothing broken but he hit his head and broke his helmet. We will keep an eye on him.

  I will add some comments in the pictures below  

Rainy start of the day. Cold and migraine dont work well together.

Little nice views along side farm roads. Very calm and slow life.

The flatish part before the top of the Port Larrau was beautiful and cold.

Goats everywhere and sometimes they got right in front of us.

A big flock of goats passed us at the top while we waited for the rest of the group.

Our bikes “resting” after a long and hard climb.

The view from the top looking to Spain.

Paul andI in the morning rain.

Crossing the tunnel between France and Spain.

Riding in Spain under blue skys!