Wed 25th May: 140 kms today and the fourth day on the trot on the Pyrenees. And another sunny and hot day too. Today was in many ways a key day on this whole ride as the next few days (Thurs & Fri) are not so tough at all and we have rest day # 2 on Saturday and the next big climbing day is on Monday next week. So get through today in one piece was the requirement. I had this little concern this morning that something might just give today...and something did. It unfortunately was me...We started at 9am on Sort, Spain (a smallish ski/tourism town) and within literally 200m we were on the first climb of the day. The 18.5 km long Col d' El Canto up to just over 1728m from our 635m starting altitude. That was not so bad as the group that Chris and I adopted for the day took it quietly at a steady tempo so we crested the summit with the group. Albiet sweating a lot in the process and wondering if the summit was ever going to come! An awesome long winding descent down to yet another valley floor saw us riding up towards Andorra. As we rode up the valley the temperature rose considerably and as we rode through Andorra, the temp hit 30 deg C with no breeze at all. The sun was baking our backs and we were climbing up again in altitude all the time. We had a breif picnic roadside lunch stop in Andorra before heading off on the rest of the second big climb of the day and I think the highest altitude of the ride. The Port d Envalira pass at 2408m that takes one from Andorra into France. A real brut. At 10kms to go - I hit the wall so to speak. Or cracked as we say in cycling terms. The legs had just about had enough today and after the last few days as well and so I struggled in another slowish grind session of climbing and trying to just get over the climb without stopping and looking for a bus to jump on. Looking back we really baked ourselves in the Andorra valley with little respite from the gradient and the heat. That did not help me with 10k's to go. Eventually I got to the summit, recovered somewhat and reconnected with the group and we descended down into France breifly before taking a right hand turn and after another small 3km moderate climb, we rode down towards Spain again. Although here in Puigcerda, we are just a kilometre or two inside the Spanish border. A damn tough day on the bike again. A quiet 100km's tomorrow with the last 70 of it downhill. I am happy about that. By the way the image above is me at the summit of the the Port d Envalira pass at 2408m - looking half alive I hope although I was feeling smashed at the time. I have my wind vest on ready for the descent. At 2400m it was still some 17 deg c! The map and elevation graph above come directly from my Garmin bike computer data after finishing the stage today. Bed time up here in Spain. Talk more tomorrow...
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