Week 1

 

Day 1 March 13^th llkley-Todmorden

Everyone that knows me well would not have been surprised that the first day of my journey was spent getting stressed and running around sorting last minute jobs out that should no doubt have been done weeks before. Anyway the day began early with a visit from BBC Radio Leeds who came to do a live interview. As was announced to all I was still rather hung-over the weekend festivities As it was Louise’s (my girlfriend) birthday on Friday night and then my leaving party on Saturday night (thanks to all who came…it was a brilliant night!). It was Sunday when it finally hit me what I was about to set off and do when I had to say goodbye to my mates. I tried as hard as possible to fight the tears and failed miserably.

 

I finally left the flat in Ilkley having one last desperate removal of more of my “essential items” after I realised there was far too much stuff to fit in my trailer. The journey to Todmorden to stay at my Mums house did not bode well as the driving sleet and freezing headwind along with my trailer’s insistence on snaking due to the weight of my belongings made it incredibly tiring and uncomfortable. In the end I arrived in the dark wet and cold dreading the next few weeks.

 

Distance 30 Miles

Time 3 hours

Av Speed 10 mph

 

Day 2 March 14^th Todmorden-Middlewhich 

I said my final emotional goodbyes to Louise, Mum, Steve, Gran and Auntie Sue and set of for my Dads house in Middlewhich Cheshire. Having removed even more of my already diminished supplies, my trailer did at least feel better (although I had managed to snap the flag!) and the weather had improved slightly. The majority of the riding was certainly more enjoyable than yesterday however by now I was becoming obsessed with reducing the weight of the trailer to eliminate the snaking which was not only tiring but slowing me down a lot on the descents. In the end I visited a bike shop, changed my lock and “bungeed” more stuff to my bike only for the whole thing to jack-knife and fall in a heap when I stopped for a toilet stop on Saddleworth moor. The final 10 miles to Middlewhich were pretty awful; it was pouring with rain, dark and rush hour. Rush hour in Cheshire is apparently even worse than Leeds (especially after 5 hours of riding with that bloody trailer). Fortunately my arrival at my Dads was greeted with a hot bath and a lovely dinner and it was all forgotten about.

 

Distance 65 Miles

Time 5.2 hours

Av Speed 12.5 mph

Total ascent 5110 ft

Day 3 March 15^th Middlewhich-Betws y Coed 

In order to reach Holyhead tomorrow in time for the ferry to Dublin I had calculated I needed to reach Betws y Coed which according to Dads Tom-Tom should have been around 70 miles. Unfortunately this was my first day of getting occasionally lost and this added some miles to the route. Once I had left the very wet Cheshire morning rush hour traffic though the riding was lovely and I made great progress to Wrexham helped by a strong easterly wind (so much for a wind from the east is no good for man nor beast Lisa Gallagher!) The sign for Wales however heralded a change in topography and the steep hills made the rest of the journey to Betws y Coed very slow. Fortunately I had good legs (which concerns me slightly as I don’t think that feeling will last for long with my lack of fitness!) and made it through the Valleys 8 1/2 hours after setting off from Middlewhich.

 

Distance 84 Miles

Time 6.4 hours

Av Speed 12.4 mph

Total ascent 8882 ft

Day 4 March 16^th Betws y Coed - Dublin
 

The day dawned bright but with light snow falling and still a strong easterly wind to help me over to Holyhead. A long steep climb took me to Snowdonia with the peaks covered with snow. I descended into Bangor and over the Menai Bridge to Anglesey and along the rolling hills to the grim town of Holyhead and the port to Dublin. Unfortunately I arrived with about 4 hours to spare and it was freezing and still snowing. 3 coffees later and I made it onto the Ferry freezing. Dublin was a shock to the system after the quite Welsh lanes and I was incredibly grateful to have met another cyclist on the ferry who had renamed herself from Elizabeth to Venus and spent her life spreading “love”. She was going to see her Mum who lived in Dublin and I had a place to stay. Unfortunately on the way my back wheel got stuck in the old tram tracks and I went down on my right elbow and knee. Not much damage though luckily (Venus explained the angels were looking after me and I should always ask for their help) Thank god for love.

 

Distance 50 miles

Time 4 hours

Av Speed 12.5 mph

Total ascent 4006 ft

Day 5 March 17^th (St Patrick’s Day) Dublin - Kilkenny

 

I awoke on the top floor of the large Dublin townhouse with the vicious wind blowing through the walls. My phone measured 9 degrees inside the house and I could hear the sleet tapping on the windows. Happy St Patrick’s Day! On the plus side the roads were quite thanks to the holiday and the wind was once again on my side as it turned to north easterly and blew me over the snowy Wicklow Mountains through some lovely empty country lanes down to Kilkenny. My only danger today apart from the cold was the Irish dogs which seemed to be able to smell English blood a mile off and were constantly snapping at my leg. I made it to Kilkenny just before darkness fell and having realised all the B and B’s were full I treated myself to some luxury in the Best Western hotel.

 

Distance 94.7 miles

Total Distance 324 miles

Riding time 8.1 hours

Total ascent 7898 ft

Day 6  March 18th Kilkenny – Yougal

 

A lovely big breakfast started my day and I was greeted with a little bit of sunshine as well as the usual cold easterly wind. Mum and Steve had confirmed last night they were going to get a flight over to see me and would be arriving later today into Cork. As I was way ahead of schedule I was going to stop at Dungarven on the south coast but decided to get closer to Cork and ended up in a lovely little coastal town called Yougal. The route along the way was free from traffic (more especially so as it was the day after St Patricks so most were still tucked up in bed) and thoroughly enjoyable apart from the vicious dogs and I made my way past Sean Kelly’s’ (famous cyclist from Ireland) old house in Waterford. Unfortunately my decision to get closer to Cork for Mum and Steve didn’t pay dividend as Mum directed them both to Dungarven anyway only realising there mistake when she called me on their arrival. We shared a few pints of Guinness with the locals watching Ireland beet England in the last minute in the Rugby. In a way I was glad they won as the atmosphere was amazing (its only rugby after all?!).

 

Distance 71 miles

Total Distance 395 miles

Riding Time 5.50 hours

Av Speed 12.6 mph

Total ascent n/a

Day 7 March 19^th Yougal – Cork

 

A pleasant gentle days riding in the sunshine brought me into the lovely 2^nd city of Ireland, Cork. I found myself winding down in the evening and feeling very tired. The weeks riding has caught right up with me always the way when you stop. Sometimes I feel its better just to keep going! Mind you it seems funny to think of a 3 and a half hour ride as a rest day but that’s how it feels already. I think its knowing I pretty much have tomorrow off with just a short ride to the port in Cork.

 

Distance 44 miles

Total Distance 439 Miles

Riding time 3:37:46

Av Speed 12.5 mph

Total Ascent n/a

Week 2

 

Day 1 March 20^th Cork-Swansea

 

After a huge breakfast again I spent most of the day online catching up on emails and drinking coffee. However the day was spoilt by my so called easy ride to the ferry port. This horrendous 15 mile journey in the rush hour of Cork was compounded by the pitch black, 3 lane 70 mph roads, pitch black empty roads and then the good old trailer got a puncture (just as we were making friends as well). Anyway I arrived at the (fortunately quite) ferry port and embarked for the extremely rough ferry crossing back into Wales.

 

Distance 15.2 miles

Total Distance 454 Miles

Av speed 13.2 mph

Riding Time 1.09

Total ascent n/a

Day 2 March 21^st Swansea-Newport

 

Well this goes down as the worst day so far by a long way and hopefully it won’t get much worse than this! It started at 6.30 this morning being woken by the tannoy on the ferry followed by an awful breakfast. The ride begun in freezing Swansea port along a dual carriageway which set the scene for the rest of the day. The roads were incredibly busy and went through some of the scruffiest areas of the UK. The cycle paths didn’t help matters as everyone I went on seemed to lead to an even busier road where the cycle path then disappeared. To compound matter that North Easterly wind was no my enemy and constantly tried o blow me back towards Ireland and really made the going slow. Oh and a nail went through my trailer tyre forcing me to fix it by the side of a lovely Welsh council estate. I eventually ended up in Cardiff hoping to find a B and B just at the other side of the city. This wasn’t to be and I got stuck trying to find my way out of the city…I was now starting to worry about the locals taking a fancy to my bike (they could take the trailer!) Anyway an hour later I was on the back road towards Newport thankfully, expecting a B and B along the way. Another 45 minutes later I was in the centre of Newport with no accommodation and the night drawing in. If you have been to Newport you will appreciate that I was now in a desperate position as Newport clearly doesn’t get any visitors as there was no hotels for miles. I did eventually find something that resembled a young offenders institute and locked myself and my bike up in my miserable room.

 

Distance 83.3 Miles

Total Distance 537 Miles

Av Speed 10.9

Riding Time 7.37

Total ascent n/a

Day 3 March 22^nd Newport – Chedder

This was definitely a day of transition…from the horrendous, industrial main roads of scruffy Newport to the green, quite rolling country lanes of Somerset. I declined breakfast from my hosts in the morning as tempting as it was in the dark smoky “dining room” and made my way to the Severn bridge cycle crossing in Chepstow. Again I fought the strong easterly wind which became even stronger as I crossed the bridge and nearly blew me into the workmen who were greasing up the bridge. My mood gradually changed as I entered England and the roads suddenly became much quieter, the wind began to help me once more and the sun even came out. The descent down into the cheesy town of Chedder from the Mendip hills was amazing with the massive cliffs surrounding the road and I set myself up in much improved accommodation and replenished my body with good old fish and chips..Grand!

 

Distance 79 Miles

Total Distance 616 Miles

Av Speed 11.1

Riding Time 7.10

Total ascent 5802 ft

Day 4 March 23^rd Chedder – Wiveliscombe

 

Well the dark days of South Wales now seem a long and distant memory and the day dawned with a clear blue sky and a fantastic breakfast at the lovely Gordons Hotel. I eventually set off and rode through to Wookey Caves where a witch was supposedly turned to stone. Then through the smallest city in England, Wells which was very charming and dominated by an impressive cathedral. I rolled on to the town of Glastonbury famous for its yearly festival but looking at the town I would imagine there are plenty of parties the rest of the time. I popped into see the helpful and friendly St Johns St Cycles in Bridgewater where I had bought my bike and it had chance to see all its brothers and sisters. Finally my ride took me over the Quantocs and onto the edge of Exmoor national park to a typically English rural town Wiveliscombe just as the rain was edging in from the Atlantic.

 

Distance 60 Miles

Total Distance 676 Miles

Av speed 11.1

Riding Time 5.20

Total Ascent n/a

Day 5 March 24^th Wiveliscombe – Moretenhampstead

 

Really tough time today and despite my intention of riding through to Plymouth actually finished in a lovely quite village in the Dartford National Park. A much milder day was spoilt by the intermittent heavy rain and very strong southerly winds. I felt really tired today and never really got going; the hills really taking there toll on my legs as can be seen with my average speed!

 

Distance 45 Miles

Total Distance 721 Miles

Av speed 9.6

Riding Time 4.41

Total Ascent n/a

Day 6 March 25^th Moretenhampstead – Plymouth

 

Ohhh my last day in the UK for a long time and it was almost like it wanted to give me one last reminder of the place. When I set off the weather was very mild and dry forcing me to make the mistake of wearing shorts only and fingerless gloves as I had been a bit too warm the day before when climbing. However as I climbed up deeper into Dartmoor the weather really deteriorated, the mist came down, the wind started blowing fiercely against me off the Atlantic and the rain became heavier. The moor rd continued and the weather got worse as it went on and there was no sign of the famous horses, presumably they had decided to hide from the weather somewhere. 2 hours later with frozen hands that would no longer change my gears and soaking wet I made it to the horrendous main road from Dartmoor to Plymouth. By now the mist was so bad I could hardly see ahead the trucks and cars were still speeding by the side of me at 50 mph plus while the heavy continued to create rivers rather than roads. 6 miles out of Plymouth I punctured again and this time it was a bit of disaster as my hands were so cold there was no way I could change my tube so I ended up walking down to the waterfront to find somewhere to stay, warm up, fix my puncture and dream of the warm Spanish sunshine. England I will not miss your weather.

 

Distance  Miles

Total Distance  Miles

Av speed

Riding Time

Total Ascent

Week 3

 

Day 1 March 27th Santander-St Vincente de la Barquera

 

The crossing from Plymouth to Santander was awful. It takes a lot to make me feel sick and that journey did it. Apparently the winds were reaching severe gale force during the night which I’m not sure about as it was ex-pat talk but it was rough enough to throw me out of my bed, the fact the whole ship smelt like the nightclubs of Benidorm didn’t help (I think its all the disinfectant to clear up the smell of sick that does it!) Needless to say I was pleased to get off the ship however my pleasure was dampened slightly by the sight of yet another flat tyre! Unbelievable… before I set off I had gone at least 12 months without so much as one little puncture (excluding the flat tyre I managed to get when doing the filming for Yorkshire TV!) and now I’m plagued. This time however it was more serious as the whole tyre has split, how, I don’t know but I’m guessing it must have been half gone when I got the puncture in soggy Plymouth. Fortunately Santander was a fantastic city and I enjoyed a little stroll around to find the backstreet bike shop who managed to scrape through all his mis-match of tyres to find something suitable. So I sat in the lovely ornamental square with the early morning sunshine peeping through the clouds and got air in my wheels once again. The route out of the city was not simple. I wound my way east along the coast past numerous fantastic empty beaches, then through sprawling new builds of townhouses and eventually to the main road narrowly avoiding a trip on the motorway hard shoulder. Very quickly the volume of traffic on this initially busy road thinned out and the sun reminded me how difficult it was going to be in the height of the summer. Normally when cycling you have the cooling affect of the breeze you are creating with speed. Unfortunately when you are carrying this amount of weight speeds are much lower especially on any climbs so you miss the cooling affect which it has to be said had been a blessing up until now. I stopped for some late lunch in the extremely impressive town of Santilliana and managed to find myself the laughing stock for 4 Spanish kids who at first found the trailer amusing but then the fact I couldn’t understand a word they were saying even more so. I was saved minutes later by 4 girls from Hampshire who then took the brunt of the abuse instead. My final place of rest came after visiting another delightful coastal town Comillas with its amazing University building. St Vincente de la Barquera is set in a National Park and is surrounded by water. The route into the city passes over a bridge which locals say if you hold your breath across your wish will come true….lets see!

 

Distance 52 Miles

Total Distance 810 Miles

Av speed 10.1 mph

Riding Time 5.08

Total Ascent n/a

Day 2 March 28th St Vincente de la Barquera-Riano

 

What a fantastic day of cycling! It was a massive treat to spend the majority of the day in warm sunshine. The first 10 miles carried on along the amazing coast (I would seriously recommend the north coast of Spain for holidays, forget the costas!!) and I then moved inland towards the Picos de Europa and gradually began to ascend as the mountains literally caved in around me. The road is initially quite intimidating as the massive peaks surround the narrow road and the numurous construction trucks come thundering past but it very quickly quietens off as the gradient steepens and the road eventually opens out into some of the most incredible scenery. The mountain peaks dominate the skyline and on clear sunny days, like I was fortunate to experience, the contrasting colours really are breathtaking. As I headed past the gorgeous town of Potes the climb really began and there was now nothing left except a couple of small villages and a few hardy sheep and even these were soon to disappear as I started suffering. Upon finally reaching the peak at over 1600 metres to the applause of some dutch tourists I put on my windproof and hoped for a long descent as my reward for all that climbing. However it was more of a plateau and I only very slowly moved against the strong headwind to the delight of the locals with my trailer zigzagging behind me. To my amazement I also saw two dogs taking a group of goats and sheep for a walk; it was like a scene from animal farm, no humans!  By now it had turned cloudy and cold and I decided to stop for the night literally on a massive lake in the desolate town of Riano

 

Distance 65 Miles

Total Distance 876 Miles

Av speed 10.1 mph

Riding Time 6.28

Total Ascent 8852 ft

Day 3 March 29^th Riano - Leon

 

I left the ghost town after a coffee and fried doughnuts and headed I had hoped downhill towards Leon. It was wet and very cold with some sleet mixed in with the rain and the mountain peaks were covered with cloud. The scenery was very dramatic with the lakes on one side tall mountains on the other and then tunnels which had simply been crafted out of the rocks so felt more like caves. As I turned off the main national road (which had about 5 cars per hour passing me!) onto the smaller road the area turned much more industrial in fact it was clear it used to be industrial but all that remained was empty black factories and massive guard dogs who looked like they couldn’t really even be bothered barking. My hopes of the day being all downhill were now quelled and I climbed back up the height I had begun the day as the rain turned into a fine drizzle. Eventually I did descend into Leon hoping for a quick shopping trip for a UK-Euro adaptor which I had left behind in a hostal in St Vincente de la Barquera however this turned into a mammoth treasure hunt and I ended up staying for the night in a lovely room overlooking the real basilica de San Isidoro.

 

Distance 63 Miles

Total Distance 939 Miles

Av speed 12.3 mph

Riding Time 5.05

Total Ascent 10242 ft

Day 4 March 30^th Leon – Zamora

 

On paper today’s ride looked relatively simple. It was 90 miles but very flat and I had hoped with an early start I would get there in good time. As usual I found my optimism was without substance and when the first 10 miles through the industrial heart of Leon (and the motorway!) took me an hour in a strong headwind I became concerned. In fact it was to become the hardest days riding yet with all 90 miles ridden against a horrific headwind. The scenery was extremely boring, flat and featureless. It is mainly grain farming land and there was absolutely no protection from the constant wind in my face. At times I was struggling to propel myself forwards, it felt like I was on a turbo trainer (where you basically turn your bike into a stationary cycle machine and train indoors) for about 9 hours with a big fan on my face. Anyone that has been on a turbo trainer will know that is enough to send a man insane. Fortunately I was insane already so no damage was done.

 

Distance 90 Miles

Total Distance 1029 Miles

Av speed 10.3 mph

Riding Time 8.43
Total Ascent n/a

Day 5 March 31^st Zamora – Salamanca

 

It was very much a repeat of yesterday but with less of a wind and less distance to cover. I still ended up on a motorway but the rest of the route was very quite as usual. Salamanca though is a fantastic city, as one Spanish guy described to me in a bar, “mucho monumento, mucho Universidad, mucho turismo, mucho discoteca, mucho cerveza y mucho senoras” Can’t complain then!



Distance 50 Miles

Total Distance 1079 Miles

Av speed 12.6 mph

Riding Time 3.58

Total Ascent n/a

Day 6 April 1^st Salamanca – Pinofranqueado

 

This was by far my best days cycling of the trip and ranks as one of my best bike rides ever. Starting from Salamanca the scenery changes from the dull flat plains that had bored me for the last two days to almost British summertime countryside with much wildlife (some very big birds that twitchers would be impressed with, step down Richy Rich) streams and forests. The hills were now getting bigger again and I had climbed to around 3000 ft when suddenly the landscape changed dramatically and I finally descended down from the high plains that I had been on since climbing the Picos de Europa into a green world of trees and grass. Now the only problem I had was the constant bombardment of the bee and fly suicide bombers. As I headed towards La Alberca I was joined by a Spanish cyclist and we managed to hold a conversation for 45 minutes even though I recognised about 15 words he said and he probably about 5 of mine. Anyway we parted good friends and I think he wished me good luck. After a long climb I made it to the fantastic village of La Alberca which appeared to be a film set from the 1800s. Well worth a visit if you go to Salamanca. Then best part of the day was yet to come. The descent down from the peak above La Alberca is incredible. It winds its way down from 1200 metres in dramatic, actually daunting, fashion with numerous hairpins, unbelievable drops down the mountain side and the lovely smooth tarmac that is so common on Spanish road, thanks to the EU. I finished the day after another 20 mile undulating ride into the sunset to a fantastic, cheap, friendly hotel with a balcony the river and a massive menu del dia.

 

Distance 88 Miles

Total Distance 1167 Miles

Av speed 12.4 mph

Riding Time 7.05

Total Ascent n/a

Day 7 April 2^nd Pinofranqueado – Valencia de Alcantra

 

My first century!! I had the benefit of a very calm, warm, sunny day and additionally many rolling hills which allowed me to maintain some speed and then gain more on the descents. After around 10 miles of riding the very friendly and helpful host of my hotel in Pinofranqueado (Hotel Castilo) pulled up behind me in his car. In our customary way we communicated in sign language Spanish with him pointing and displaying a key and he was suggesting I had not given him the key for the room. “Si Si” I said before I checked my pockets and found to my complete embarrassment the room key in my pocket. After many “lo sciento’s” he then showed me which way to go to get through to Portugal and patted me on my back…some of the other hotel owners would probably have pushed me off my bike. In the end I didn’t make to Portugal as I decided to make use of the slight tailwind and head further south through some lovely little villages along the Spanish/Portugal border and finished in the middle of a holy fiesta in the pleasant and friendly border town of Valencia de Alcantra.

 

Distance 110 Miles

Total Distance 1277 Miles

Av speed 14.2 mph

Riding Time 7.38

Total Ascent n/a

Day 1 April 3^rd Valencia de Alcantra – Evora

 

Finally I made it to Portugal and I was amazed at the difference the border made. I had only been to Portugal twice before to the Algarve. This border area is much different and surprisingly poor. It actually felt more like an upmarket Goa with the smells of spent fuel, burning rubbish, and the run down, little white towns. The road signs also disappeared and made navigation a little more difficult which, along with deteriorating road surfaces, made it hard going. I had anticipated a distance of 70 miles to Evora but was actually just half a mile off 100 due to my decision to take in the little roads and isolated villages to avoid the horrible main road. It was well worth it though; as much as I thought the Spanish had been incredibly friendly the Portuguese were amazing. I passed through a little town called Igrejinha and four old guys actually fell about laughing at my trailer. Seems the amusement at my trailer wagging its little tail is universal. Evora is an amazing place. Perched on the top of a hill overlooking the countryside it maintains a very sleepy feel for what is classed as a city with tiny little, cobbled, and winding streets and some fantastic monuments. It’s probably not the same when the holiday season comes though as I can imagine it’s overrun with tourists.

 

Distance 9 Miles

Total Distance 1377 Miles

Av Speed 13.5 mph

Total riding time 7.19

Day 2 April 4^th Evora – Cortegana

 

The rain was coming down as I left Evora making the painted cobbles, which surrounded the city, lethal for a cyclist towing a trailer.  When I did make it out of the city the main road wasn’t much fun either having no hard shoulder/cycle lane and the volume of traffic made it feel more like the UK than Iberia. I decided to get off this direct route and take a minor road instead which although empty was terribly surfaced and very uncomfortable.  A minor incident then occurred which may have put a Portuguese farmer off his sardines as he caught me doing a number 2 at the side of his track. He gave me a knowing look and carried on along his way.

 

After passing through the next town I punctured yet again and my foul mood turned to my first tantrum of the day as I was starving and couldn’t find any food and threw all my remaining cookies on the floor in a fit of rage. I was laughing at myself 2 minutes later! The next falling out with myself came soon after as I took an excellent looking shortcut to Moura. Unfortunately I was thwarted by the road coming to an end just before reaching the city due to a massive river that my map showed a bridge still existed. What made matters worse was I had just been pushed along with a good tailwind and a lovely descent for 10 miles and I now had to go all the way back just to get back to where I came from. I could not understand why the road was still so well surfaced when it was a dead end. Anyway this cost me an extra 25 miles which considering my urgency to get to the south of Spain. I found out in a couple of hours where the body of water had come from when I went over a massive dam that has just been built to the North of the city.

 

Sobra de Adica was the lovely last Portugese village which really was like stepping back in time. I was hoping it contained a short cut to Spain and not for the first time today I was let down and had to retrace my steps. Finally Spain and the road returned to smooth tarmac and I zipped along the road with the wind and the evening sun on my back and tried to make up some lost time. I pushed on and on into the dark and made it to Cortegana in the Sierra Morena with only 1 hostel and yet again provided amusement to the local kids.

 

Distance 117 Miles

Total Distance 1495 Miles

Av Speed 12.9 mph

Total riding time 9.02

Day 3 April 5^th Cortegana – Osuna

 

I awoke to the sound of thunder and the thrashing of rain on the cobbled streets, normally I would have turned over and gone back to sleep but now had just two days to get to Nerja on the south coast and meet Louise and it looked to be at least 200 miles. The storm was to last for the first two hours of riding through the Sierra Morena and the blustery crosswind and my tired legs from yesterday made it a nightmare start. Fortunately the storm abated and the sun periodically returned however the wind strengthened and kept trying to throw me into the path of the thundering trucks which were typically obliging and passing very wide (not like in the UK!). The villages and towns of the Sierra Morena were very attractive but the relative poverty of the area was prominent. This is apparently the poorest area of Spain and it showed. After about 60 miles I finally turned off the main road and skirted around Sevilla. By now my legs were suffering and my target of reaching Osuna was looking unlikely so I stopped and had a few coffees. The caffeine and hamburger mixed with a slight change of direction which put the wind pretty much on my back did the trick. I was flying and found myself on the incredibly poor surfaced road to the historic town of Carmona. The sun was setting as I approached another white historic town Marchena and as I was still going well I made the decision to press on and try and make it to Osuna. Big mistake. Next thing I new it was pitch black and I had been forced to detour to a town called La Lantejuela to get somewhere to stay as Osuna was still 20 kilometres away. The unlit roads with very curious, crushed, big animals were not really my cup of tea. You can imagine my face when my question of where the hostal was met with a “no” and “Osuna”. Clearly I’m a big girl but I hate riding in the dark and I can’t believe how dark this road was. Every rustle of the leaves made me jump and all the aches and pains of my tired legs rushed away as I concentrated on making it the distant lights. At one point a pair of big dogs started going mental and so did I not knowing if they were loose or not as I couldn’t see them. Luckily the metal chain pulled taught as they lunged towards my legs. Funnily enough I was glad to make it. Another century!

 

Distance 127 miles

Total Distance 1621

Total riding time 9.22

Av Speed 13.5 mph

Day 4 April 6^th Osuna – Nerja

 

Another day of morning rain and wind as I made one last push down to the Costa Del Sol. The only thing that kept me going today was the thought of lying on the beach, getting drunk, and the birthday treats Louise had promised me (as I know she will be reading this I should say seeing her as well!). After spending an hour trying to find the right road out of Osuna I headed into the mountains and eventually into Antequera quite a busy and industrial town and seemingly surrounded by Motorways which I was keen to try and avoid. Unfortunately I didn’t and I spent an hour on the hard shoulder of the newly converted (it was still a national road on my map) Autovia climbing even higher into the mountains in the rain with no option but to push on to the junction I needed. The problem with this area of Spain is the development has just spread so much that every road seems to have been converted to motorways or duel carriageways and compared to the rest of Spain its so busy. It’s almost as if it turning into one big city. However I had one last blast through the mountain roads once I got off the horrific motorway and enjoyed a long and twisting descent which eventually made its way to the coast at Velez Malaga leaving a 12 mile wind assisted, sunny ride to Nerja and rest my weary legs. Its my 27^th birthday tomorrow and I’m looking forward to being pampered and thanks to my Auntie Sue will be remaining stationary in her lovely apartment on the Torrox Costa.

 

Distance 106 miles

Total Distance 1727

Total riding time 8.17

Av Speed 12.7 mph

Day 1 10^th April 2006 Nerja – Orgiva

 

Having spent a wonderful and relaxing weekend with Louise it was back to the bike. It was a real struggle to get myself motivated again having spent the days leading up to the weekend purely focused on making it on time. On top of this I was feeling pretty low knowing it was going to be a long time until we were going to see each other again. Eventually I got myself going and travelled up the busy coast road to Motril my legs groaning at moving again having had three days off. At Motril I headed inland and uphill towards the Sierra Navada Mountains. I was riding as slow as a donkey and decided to give it a relatively early finish and try my first night of camping at Orgiva in the Alpujjara valley.

 

Distance 65 miles

Total distance 1792 miles

Av Speed 11.6 mph

Total riding 5.38

Day 2 11^th April 2006 Orgiva – Laujar de Andarax

 

Oh what a day. The majority was spent climbing from Orgiva through the heart of the Alpujjaras, the valleys sitting below the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The route took me through the lovely villages of Pampaneira, Pitres and Portugus and eventually reached a peak of around 1600 metres just above allegedly the highest inhabited village in Spain, Trevelez. I was tired, it was hard going and my average speed was one of the lowest so far. Into the evening I discovered my saddle bag had opened at some point and my mini tool which contained the majority of my tools had been lost somewhere. There was no way I was turning back so I had to risk it and hope I had no problems until I found a tool shop. Further along the road past the market town of Ugijar I was stopped by a Spanish guy who had very kindly picked up my windproof which I had also unknowingly managed to drop along the way and returned it to me.  Just as I was beating myself up about losing things it hit me that I had not picked up my passport from the Campsite in Orgiva which they had insisted on holding onto overnight. I was now feeling shattered and really annoyed with myself; I did not have time to turn back and go 50 miles back so pushed on to the next town and to top the day off managed to find the grumpiest hotelier on the outskirts of Laujar de Andarax.

 

Distance 63 Miles

Total distance 1855 Miles

Av Speed 8.9 mph

Total riding time 7.03

Day 3 12^th April Laujar de Andarax – Aguilas

 

What a difference a day makes! When I was researching my trip I kept reading accounts of how many amazing highs and depressing lows were experienced. I can’t believe just how true this was. The good days seem so amazing and the bad days awful. Today I felt strong, went past some amazing coastline, desert landscape, found 2 bike shops to replace my lost tools and thanks to Matts friend Christina will hopefully get my passport back soon. The Almerian coastline south of Aguilas was amazing…tourism is starting to encroach but most of it is rocky with some tiny little hidden coves and remains untouched. When I reached Aguilas I was fortunate to witness the beginning of the Semana Santa festivities which most of the town was out in the streets celebrating.

 

Distance 110 miles

Total Distance 1965 miles

Av Speed 13 mph

Total riding time 8.24

Day 4 13^th April Argillas – Guardamar del Segura

 

My main aim of the day was to get as close as possible to Alicante for an easy days ride to Matts tomorrow. A fairly uneventful day took me from the fantastic coastline of Aguilas straight up over the mountains to the coastal resorts of Mazarron. Back over the mountains and along the dusty plains to the touristy coastal resorts along the Mar Menor and Torreveija and northwards about 20 miles south of Alicante.

 

Distance 97 miles

Total Distance 2062 miles

Av Speed 12 mph

Total riding time 8.08

Day 5 14^th April Guardamar del Segura – Altea La Veija

 

Made it! I decided to take the relatively easy but busy coastal route to Matt’s rather than go over the mountains in order to give me an earlier finish and a longer rest before my week of riding with the “Kent cycling hero” Some of the beaches on the stretch up to the infamous Benidorm were amazing and surprisingly not covered with roasting Northern European bodies (unlike Benidorm itself). I went straight through the thronging streets of Alicante, full of locals enjoying their day’s holiday. On arrival up the final last climb that I had been dreading all day I received a lovely greeting from Matt’s family and a welcome break before a gentle night out in Benidorm!

 

Distance 60 miles

Total Distance 2123 miles

Av Speed 12.3 mph

Total riding time 4.54

Day 7 16^th April Altea La Vieja – Chiva

 

My first day of riding with company other than Bob the trailer went well apart from Matt having 2 punctures (served him right for laughing at me a few weeks ago!) and managing to get lost on the country lanes as we headed inland to avoid the busy roads around Valencia. The route took us from the coastal tourist resorts of Javea, Denia etc into the countryside where the locals were sat in huge families picnicking in the shade. Being a Sunday the Easter festivities were in full swing and by the time we arrived in the town of Chiva around 40 miles inland from Valencia the locals were in fancy dress being towed in the farmers carts drinking whatever they could get hold of.  We stuck to a few German beers and went to bed.

 

Distance 105 miles

Total Distance 2228 miles

Av Speed 14 mph

Total riding time 4.54

Day 1 April 17^th Chiva – Alcossebre

 

We began the day riding up and along the fantastic mountain roads to Segorbe stopping for a coffe and some food just as a big storm came in and we were invited inside the owners little hut to keep dry. Once the rains subsided we ventured on only for them to quickly return and the heavens totally opened this time on the descent and turned the roads to nice, warm rivers. We had about an hour of this before we reached down to the coast and the Industrial towns of Villa Real and Castellon and then past the large tourist resort of Benicassim. We finished the day with along the quite coastal restors down from Torreblanca and eventually made it to the fantastic value hotel (my night to pay!!) in Alcossebre.

 

Distance 114 Miles

Total Distance 2342 Miles

Av Speed 13.3 Mph

Total Riding time 8.32

Day 2 April 18^th Alcosebre – Gandesa

 

Our adventures trying to find a nice quite coastal road after an enormous buffet breakfast were fruitless as it turned into a rocky track and we were forced to turn back and head back onto the main busy road. Not only was it full of heavy traffic but we were also riding into a block headwind for a good 25 miles before we could turn off and head inland at Vinaros. From here the road gradually quietened and once past the attractive Tortosa, set on the river, the industrial scenery was displaced with green countryside and the sound of the mountain goats’ bells. It also heralded the beginning of some steep climbs and fantastic twisting descents. We stopped for the night in Gandesa and managed to find a restaurant which served what we had hoped would be large lumps of meat but as Matthew described were more like crows legs. This was also the evening I fell in love with the cardboard Ice cream lady on the advert………she had amazing teeth!

 

Distance 81 Miles

Total Distance 2423 Miles

Av Speed 12.6 Mph

Total Riding Time 6.24

Day 3 April 19^th Gandesa – Tremp

 

Today was the beginning of our assault on the Pyrenees and also some fantastic riding. We had a very fast start with the wind on our backs past the friendly workmen and other wildlife on the long road to Lleida. After a quick tour of this attractive old city and a much longer coffee stop we travelled the final flat 20 miles in less than an hour as I sat in my usual position behind Matt’s wheel as he pushed into the breeze. The real riding then began as we turned off for a sardine party in the poppy fields. The road became more and more dramatic as it climbed and the massive gorges grew and grew until the jagged cliffs towered above us and the lime green river below us swelled with melt water from the high mountains. As we continued to climb in the evening heat we were running low on water so decided to do a little detour to the village above us. We found a lovely looking restaurant and to my amusement I watched Matt venture into the scary looking old building where no-one could be found, leaving some money on the side in exchange for water. The funny thing was I told him he had left too much so he went back in and changed the amount he had left. His face was a picture but would have been even more so if the owner had caught him or the ghostly waiter had spoken to him.

 

Distance 108 Miles (20 not recorded)

Total Distance 2532 Miles

Av Speed 14.1 Mph

Total Riding time 7.14 (1 hr not recorded)

Day 5 April 21^st Andorra La Vella (trailer trash hole of Europe) – Carcasonne

 

The panniers I had purchased to use in addition to Bob actually prevented him from being able to fit onto the bike so there was no option but for us to part company and for Andorra to be renamed the trailer trash hole of Europe for this and other reasons. We would not be returning in a hurry. The road out of Andorra passed through many more shopping centres and eventually as we climbed more and more ski resorts until we reached the snow line and continued to climb up to the pass and the French border at 2408 metres. After an amazing descent down into the French valley we were somewhat disappointed when back down to a height of around 750 metres we found we were going to have to take on another climb, all be it fortunately not back up to the same heights we had just been to. The French border marked a change to a much neater, tidier and finished scenery with verry little of the construction of Andorra and Spain. Eventually we descended to the lowlands and finished with a 30 miles flat ride into a fierce headwind which heralded an evening of rain which we were fortunate to beat.

 

Distance 106 Miles

Total Distance 2703 Miles

Av Speed 13.8 Mph

Total Riding Time 7.43

Day 6 April 22nd Carcasonne- Laure Minervois

 

There are times when the body is pushed just a little beyond its limit and today it revolted. We went out in Carcasonne last night for a few that turned into a few more that ended up in a few bars/clubs. The result for me at least was a vicious hangover that progressively worsened as the day went on. After Matt made friends with some 84 year old French guys at the breakfast table we parted as he went to the airport for home and I headed up the very touristy walled Cite but I was in no mood for sightseeing so quickly headed off into the country. After an hour of riding I felt dreadful and had no option but to try and find somewhere to rest my spinning head. I was heading out of Laure Minervois when I noticed a sign for a wine tasting/selling house. They had no rooms but were kind enough to show me (on his bike!) to a fantastic place owned by Kate and Patrick Harrison (from the UK) who fed me and looked after me while I sorted myself out.

Day 7 April 23^rd Laure Minervois – Madieras

 

Wow the power of sleep and good food! My body felt like it was attached to my head once again and my legs were working. Not only that the sun was shining, the wind had gone, the roads were quite and the scenery was at times breathtaking. I headed out of the wine growing Maisson area up into the mountains were the scenery changed into dense forest. I can’t believe how many people have now cheered me on! Or at least it looks like they are cheering me on, they could be hurling abuse at me for all I know but they are doing it with a smile! The day ended with a struggle to find anywhere to stay or eat for the night with everything shut up with it being a Sunday. I went the two Bed and Breakfasts who were not open despite the signs taking me on log detours to get to them. The upside was a fantastic descent through the gorges leading to Medieras and I was left with no choice as darkness descended to stay in the four star historic castle looking above the village which blew about a weeks budget in 1 night.

 

Distance 104 Miles

Total 282 Miles

Av 12.2 mph

Total Time 8.29

Day 1 April 24^th Madieres – Uzes

 

I awoke in my castle with a sore throat that heralded the onset of a cold so decided I would try Matt’s medicine. Ride slowly and drink juice. So I had a very relaxing days ride initially through the pine forest to the town of Ganges and then through more flat, vine country along the main road past Suave to the historic and rather Roman city of Nimes. My final resting place was the campsite near the very pretty Uzes where the very kind Dutch owner let me use a chalet for the same cost as pitching a tent. Not quite the same as last night but relative luxury all the same.

 

Distance 70 Miles

Total Distance 2896 Miles

Av Speed 12 mph

Total Time 5.54

Day 2 April 25^th Uzes – Bonnieux

 

Uzes is a great place to relax, its very arty and similar in style to Nimes but on a much smaller scale and is the starting point of the aqueduct the Romans built to convey water from a spring to Nimes. I travelled along to the Pont du Gard which is the best preserved part of the aqueduct and is an amazing sight. As my cold had now taken hold I decided to be a ‘proper tourist’ for the day, drinking coffee and generally chilling. Avignon was a fantastic place, up there with Salamanca as my favourite so far. Beautiful streets, building, cafes, weather and errr women banished the cold to the back of my mind. The best thing about France for me is their love of cycling an the respect given for being on a bike. Even the smoothie maker in Avignon who spent 6 months of the year making love in Madagasker(his words) gave me a free drink! Eventually I persuaded myself to push on in the afternoon into the national park of Montagne du Luberon past the hillside village of Menerbes and rested at the peaceful campsite below Bonnieux.

 

Distance 75 Miles

Total Distance 2971 Miles

Av Speed 13 mph 
Total Time 5.50

Day 3 April 26^th Bonnieux – Moustier Ste Marie

 

What would have been a lovely days riding through the Provence was spoiled by my worsening health and I really should have taken today off but with Mum, Steve and Lou flying out Thursday to Nice I decided to try and push on and ensure I made it in time. My body felt really weak though and the attractive towns of Lourmarin, Manosque, Valensole and Riez gave me brief respites from the struggle of pushing the pedals round. I called it a day when I stopped and could no longer hold my bike up; just as another storm rolled in and soaked the mainly Italian tourists in Moustier Ste Marie the village with the big church on top of the cliffs.

 

Distance 67 Miles

Total Distance 3037 Miles

Av Speed 10.5 mph

Total Time 6.20

Day 4 April 27^th Moustier Ste Marie – Antibes

 

My last big day before a break and a break I really needed. It was an incredibly varied and scenic route taking me through the lower reaches of the Alpes and the spectacular Grand Canyon du Verdon. The weather was however not in a kind mood and I spent the majority of the day freezing, even with all of the cycling clothes on I possessed, as the electric storms threw down sheets of hail yet again. I had now developed quite a bad cough which suddenly felt even worse when a little girl passed me on her mountain bike heading up a pass of 1300 metres. Eventually I made it to Grasse the perfume capitol of Europe from where I knew it would be downhill all the way to the sunny French Riviera to be greeted by Lou, Mum and Steve for a bit of TLC.

 

Distance 95 Miles

Total Distance 3133 Miles

Av Speed 11.0 mph