´No Steep Hills´
I´m in Spain this week with the St.Roman cycling club staying in a place called Cambrils.
Today was to be an easy day according to Bernard who runs Cambrils Velo Tours. 90km without any difficult climbs but with a 20km start along the main coast road. Following that the route would be along deserted roads.We formed a group of 20 and set off along the main road. As the gadjy had warned us there were quite a few lorries on the road but he hadn´t mentioned the numerous stones and bolts lying on the cycle lane. Within 10km we had three punctures. Every so often we would pass small groups of scantily clad girls waiting by the side of the road who were perhaps waiting to offer a comforting hand to passing cyclists who had run out of spare inner tubes. Once off the main road there was indeed very little traffic but the surface wasn´t the kind you could ride along with a full bladder.
After yesterday´s climbs with gradients in excess of 15%, I was looking forward to the steady climb to 500m. Approaching a corner I noticed a rather rusty sign informing us of an 11% slope. I rather innocently assumed that this must be either a mistake or just a short steep bit round the corner. I got out the saddle and pottered round the corner only to be greeted with the vision of 19 cyclists grinding their way up several hundred metres of a rather steep looking incline to the next corner. To my relief the gradient eased up but after the next corner the sign indicated a gradient of 14%.
s***** f***** b******
Oh. I nearly forgot. The wind. For most of the ride it wasn´t too bad today. I only got nearly blown off the road a couple of times. The worst time was when the wind caught my front wheel on one of the steep bits which resulted in an obligatory u-turn back to the previous hairpin in order to avoid either falling over or disappearing into a rather deep drainage channel.
Once at the top of the climb we headed back to Cambrils stopping for water in one of the villages. It was actually the only village we went through. Perhaps there might have been a nice café to call into for a nice coffee but it was getting perilously close to lunch time and we had 20 odd km to go. Without much delay we set off and the pace gradually increased. A short climb split the peloton and, as things go, one of the back riders had a puncture. I seemed to have spent most of the day trying to take it easy, saving myself for the `Big Day´ tomorrow, so myself and Mark helped Marie-Lou change her inner tube, as the peloton disappeared into the distance thinking only of lunch.
Getting back to the hotel we had clocked 99km, 1145m of ascent and a maximum heart rate of 180. So quite an easy day overall.
Dr. Assos says...
"Always have a spare inner tube ready when you ask a scantily clad girl for a hand".
It's the law!
Sounds like you're having a good time, at least it isn't snowing.
Posted by: Dr. Assos | April 25, 2008 at 07:44 PM