Summary of rides

7th July Girona - Els Angels. 70.65km 1021m


8th Girona - Olot. 114.7km 1282m

9th July Sant Celoni 72.6km 1845m

11th July Tourmalet and Hautacam 137.6km 3359m

12th July Haurchette and Col D'Aspin 82km 1798m

13th July Col du Soulor and Col D'Aubisque 70.7km 1636m

15th July Arrate climb 26.1km 760m

16th July Cangas to Lagos di Covadonga 82km 1845m

17th July Garganta di Cares 105.1km 2064m

18th July Ribadasell 70.6km 1558m

19 July Rio del Ponga 64.1km 991m

21 July Las Caldas Grado 96km 2075m

22 July L'Angliru 64.1 2017m

23 July Somiedo 77.7km 1688m

1,129.9km 23,939m

Bike is packed, I hope to assemble it on Saturday 28th for a ride up Pico Veleta south of Granada

July 23 Somiedo

OK I'll admit I am starting to get weary.  The hills are having an impact and no less for climbing Angliru yesterday and wandering the streets of the old town in Oviedo

Yes I had a small glass of cava for breakfast.

I made sounds saying I was taking a rest day but somehow managed to get prepped and ready for the drive south to the Parque Natural Somiedo.  And I am so glad I did, what an amazing landscape firstly as we drove south on the motorway and as we entered the parque. Its astonishing

The drive was a smooth 80 kilometres or so south towards Leon along the autovia toll road. The landscape is breathtaking but as I was driving I could take photos. Everything is on a grand scale, the motorway glides sinuously along river valleys, around the slops of hills and diving deep under mountains through tunnels.

A moonscape doesnt do this justice as the rocks are heavily vegetated. As we go further south and higher in altitude changes occur to the composition of vegetation and for the first time in Asturias we get cloudless skies. We cross over into the province of Castilla y Leon and arrive at the village of San Emiliano.

As I prep the bike, I realise I didnt put the replacement tyre on, the front has a large slash through the carcass and the boot I put on yesterday is not doing the job, so I deflate the tube, add an additional boot and add another layer of material by consuming a gel and tearing a section of the packet to add another layer of protection.  Pump up the tyre and click in a go.

Legs dont want to though.  So I watch the landscape as the bike takes me forward.

 A short rise and a left hand turn and we start towards a valley, not knowing what lies ahead. A nervous wee stop and we continue on.

Its sunscreen weather and we are loving this despite the fatigue.

A couple of hamlets pass as we gently pootle up the valley, the hills loom large either side. OGF yesterday asked if we wanted to ride the short 4km gravel section downhill or uphill. Most decidely uphill was regarded as safer and easier and I think we might have recosidered that.

High pressure narrow road tyres are not best suited to loose gravel but the gradient also hit 14% and the couple of riders who rode downhill seemed to regard descending as particularly difficult for much the same reasons.

The one photo I tried resulted in my almost immediate veering off the road and stopping. A short few steps and cycling was the preferred option but getting started required a bit too much thought and preparation. I managed it somehow on the first attempt and kept trying to find a smooth line through the large rocks.

This short 4 kilomtre section took us to 1700m asl in 19 minutes average speed 5.7kmh! Rocks pinging off the tyres, wheels moving sideways, wheels spinning, keeping the weight over the front tyre and dodging one or two cars are rolled downhill. A new thing every day

And by climbing this road we were back in Asturias and the landscape was grand, a reward for the effort

I was a bit scared for the integrity of my front tyre but eventually I let gravity work its magic as I swooped through bend after bend, with the selfie thrown in.

Magic stuff.  Ride stats here, and SuperModel's excellent views and opinions here

This tunnel was the lowest altitude for the day at around 600m asl, knowing we had to make 1400m for the pass to get back to the cars. Fuel would be needed and Pola de Somiedo was our lunch stop.

It was a steady 6-7% climb back out after lunch, and it was warm.  The camera wasnt the problem here, my eyes were out of focus from the effort to climb on weary legs

I just want to get to the cars and start the drive back to Las Caldas. Thankfully it was a 200m decline over twenty odd kays.

 San Emiliano has an impressive entry statement, complete with nesting migratory storks

Tired and happy with the day, we scored some cool beers and then packed the cars and drove north. We've been gone all day and so we retire across the road for dinner, very busy and the wait staff of two are rushed off their feet.

No matter.

Tomorrow defs a rest day, packing the bikes, suitcases and the logistics of Madrid.

July 22 - L'Angliru - El Infierno

Wow what a day

Holy crap! What a day.

We have been training for two weeks for this ride today, which are are doing sadly without our beloved compadre El Tortuga. He is too injured and in too much pain for this escapade. His bike is packed up and washed, and he is still in a sling and in pain. All we can do is check and make sure he has enough meds, books, soup, grapes, and a hundred other things he doesnt need. He needs to ride a bike and we need him with us but not today.

This is our hotel corridor, as we wander down, the auto lights click on and I cant help singing the "Get Smart" tune by Buck Henry. The escalador at the end sadly does not resemble a phone booth

 Look out, SuperModel on the fang, obstruct at your peril

 Yes that is cava in the corner. No we didnt

 LM was the hombre del dia for wearing lycra to brekkie

 Obligatory pre ride photo, how happy we look

 Asturias is beautiful and confronting. Rural use and domesticity sit cheek by jowl with heavy industry and power plants. Its an old industrial country, much cleaned up, but its no wonder kids leave for the city, get an education, get ahead. Yet the rural lifestyle changes with each valley we encounter, and often it is very charming

 Snail shit. Lots of slow. Lots of shit. July 22

 Pretty train station

El Olimpo del Ciclismo. Definately the hardest day on the bike ever for me. Im not sure of the numbers, they dont equate to "hurt" very neatly. Sure I've done time trials where I have pushed my limits, this was another scale altogether, or maybe my memory of time trialling is vague. Angliru is infamous as a named climb, used during the Vuelta d'Espana it makes seasoned professional cyclists instal 34x32 gearing on their steeds. We've been running that for lesser climbs, there is nowhere else for us to go. Except up.

Ride data here.

Somewhere below is the road that took me to this spot where I had brain cells that could coordinate a photo

Heading into the clouds, 12% is easy, its a recovery grade. Yes this is true.  Later on 16% becomes a recovery grade

Welcome to hell. You idiot

After this it gets steep

It got so steep, I had to ride using the drops just to move my centre of gravity lower and forward so as to prevent the front wheel lifting off with each and every pedal stroke. After two weeks of climbing you'd think I could promote a smooth pedal stroke but the stress of climbing at higher than 20% disrupts everything. Breathing, steering, balance, rational though go out the window. Sanity has long gone, all that remains is grit.
The shit of the road, the spit from your mouth that cant make it to the ground, the dust, the clouds, your breath becomes the cloud.
The road turns and at each switchback I use the short respite to dodge the cowshit and enjoy the 11% gradient, then back into climbing.
Over twnwty percent you fight gravity with everything you have, its amazing the bike stays upright at such speeds, zigzagging becomes natural, anything to artificially lower the hill, even by making it longer you fight the bike. One hundred metres of this and you have climbed three storeys, and then you do it again. No respite. Worst feeling ever because you know if you stop you cannot restart, one pedal stroke is not enough to get the other foot onto the pedal and get going, so you keep spasmodically pushing one leg after another and dont stop. Dont unclip, keep going.
The signs on the side of the road are there to help but they lie and they laugh. This next section? Average of 15% with a maximo of 23.5% for 250m, I dont know how long this takes Im just refusing to stop.
I see a sign for 1.5km to go at an average of 15%. Piece of piss I think and then the gradient hits 20%!! Only 1500 pedal strokes, turn and turn and dodge shit and rocks and passing cars and cows.
500m to the cimo at an average of 6% but its over 15%. What the actual fuck?
Now this just makes me angry and nothing can stop me. The view from this high on the hill is nothing, the clouds obscured 500m and 4 kilometres ago.  Lost sight of SM ages ago, somewhere behind is LM and OGF.
I crest the hill and the GPS says keep going until doing a u-turn, as I start riding downhill towards the mountains plateau SM is riding back? What? There should be a plaque, or a statue or a plinth or something? I blindly folow the direction of the GPS and the blessed downhill road emerging onto a wide carpark and its over.

I can hold the emotion in, I've gone too deep today, refusing to give into this iconic climb. I need a moment, but compare this pic to the one 100 minutes before down in Riosa.

Both LM and OGF have conquered this beast of a climb twice now. Imagine subjecting yourself to this twice knowing the pain to come?

It becomes a slow ride downhill, were concerned by heat build up and I notice my tyre has a trace of dirt on it. Turns out my front tyre has a deep slash and the tube was bulging through. Potentially dangerous, so I add a patch to the inside of the tyre and reinflate, but very careful of heat buildup through braking.

An excuse to stop and let the wheels and brakes cool

We pass a few cyclists today, nothing like the Tourmalet, this hill is far harder. I can conquer most mountains having done this,not that Im in a hurry.

The ride back takes us through interesting rural country, towns, hamlets and eventually back for a well earned beer back at Las Caldas.

I'm emotionally wrought, exhausted and tired.

Sleep and wander through the city of Oviedo beckon for dinner.