Spain! Tiki-Taka! The best riding!

I did my first ride in Spain, starting from the village of Urracal, where we have a little house.  So the decent from the village I averaged 55km/hr, no pedalling, just so you understand the grade.  I decided on the first day just to try my legs out with a 52km ride.  Just gorgeous roads, 40 degrees C, with cool winds.

After that descent, I started climbing about 1,000m of gain, so the highest little hill was about 800m.  Then downhill again, it was great!  Little pain in the back but wonderful.

So again, I ask my wife to plot me a route.  Great!  Over the Sierras!  So the day started with 3 hours of climbing, never ending, leg aching climbing.  It was great!  I finally hit the summit at 1246 meters, not like a big climb of the Tour de France, but I still think a category 1 climb.

So after all day of climbing, there is the mind numbing, descent of 80km/hr that goes on for 30 minutes.  I got good practice of cornering at high speed.  But as you know, my life never goes easy.  Half way down the mountain, I feel this sharp pain in my abdomen, burning searing!!!  A wasp flew down my clothes and stung me.   I don't have disc brakes so it is not easy to stop quickly at 80km/hr.  But after the third sting, I had to grab a fistful of brakes!!

The guy was right there in my bib, just stinging away!!  Being Buddhist, I could not bring myself to kill it, it was just being true to its nature.  So I flicked it out of my clothes and started down the hill.  WOW!

My legs still ache after that delicious climb.  I leave Spain on Sunday, so I hope to get one last ride in before I return to Canada.

I should post some pictures later.

In Spain At Last

So I am in Spain ready to ride.  Of course the first day, flat tire, and guess what, I have a mountain bike tube in my pack.  WOW!!  Fun!

I have this great hand pump, it is the best I have ever seen, I could pump my tires to an amazing 120 with this baby!!

It is wonderfully hot and dry, here, ideal riding weather. I have been ill for the past couple of weeks, put on some weight, I can't believe how fast is comes on.  So I have a couple months to loose it again, and get back in shape.

The Tour De France in on which is very satisfying.  I think David Millar is going to surprise some people this year.  Thor the GOD of Thunder will be at it again.  I was very happy to see "Ale Jet" Pentacci win today.  He is one of my favourite sprinters.

Well, I will let you know how it goes.