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3rd Jul 2009 Bike 4 Cancer Blog : 1st - 3rd July
Friday 3rd July Brutal stage requiring the riders to cover 220km and 4000m of climbing. Even the support team are suffering in the heat and James needed a
After a final slog along a gradual climb the team crossed the border into Andorra. With the time ticking and the sun disappearing behind the mountains a decision had to be made as to whether to push on to the hors category (unclassified) finish. RMW and the support team climbed up to 1200m but sadly were on the wrong road. For the first time RG was ahead on the road and decided to plod on to the finish.
The final climb was over 7% and finished with an ascent to 2240m. By this time RG had been on the road for 12 hours and had to ride back to the rest of the team in the failing light. Everyone was by now exhausted and tensions mounted until a hotel had been secured. The team were then able to reflect on a very tough day over a lovely dinner and well deserved beer. Thursday 2nd July
Wow what an incredible day! The route today was simply stunning from rolling hills along the coast, flat sections along the beach and winding climbs / descents inland - there was even a tail wind at times. RG took the opportunity to dive into the sea at the lunch stop whilst cameraman Tom took some stunning shots of the Coastal scenery. The riders are now riding their own solo tours with RMW breaking away determined to ride the stages as fast as possible - his pace is awesome and at times even the support crew are struggling to keep up. RG is however keen to keep the legs fresh and enjoy the scenery which could lead to decisions to be made re where to send the support team and cameraman as there are now often several miles between the riders. Navigation is still an issue with RG this time taking his turn to ride a few extra kms down yet another dual carriageway ignoring the no cycling signs....
The final descent into Barcelona was simply stunning; however the traffic in the city was frantic for the riders to negotiate - RG got yelled out by the police for using his mobile and narrowly avoided mowing down pedestrians on a crossing as the lights changed. Both riders also had near misses with careless drivers cutting them up. The support crew arrived at the finish in good time but seemed to leave behind a trail of traffic chaos - was this pure coincidence or their attempt
After a long day in the saddle the legs are feeling stiff and RG also has some sun burn to attend to. The guys finished the day with the now favourite game of 'where should we stay tonight....' Stats: 186km, 9235kcals, 28°C temp at 8pm! Wednesday 1st July Le Tour guys get it so easy! The tour riders have the roads closed and have the benefits of the peloton to help in those head winds. The riders in team Bike 4 Cancer have no such luxury and really have to earn the kilometres. The stage was again pretty flat with less than 1000m of climbing. The extreme heat was once more a factor; however the day will be remembered for the incidents. RMW had to change a tyre whilst still at the Agde campsite after it split due to the heat of the time trial. In Beziers RG broke a spoke in his rear wheel and had to use a spare wheel once the support boys caught up. The scenery has been stunning today with open farmland, hills, marshes and endless beaches. RG seems to have got to grips with the heat and his form is returning ahead of the big mountain stages. RMW continues to pedal strongly taking it all in his stride - after a little detour of his own he finished the stage with over 200km on the clock. The real issue was however in the last 50km when the team had more navigational problems - after a lot of worry the team were finally reunited in Perpignan. The lesson learnt is that the team need to stick to the agreed meeting places and carry money or a phone. Team are now in Gerona, Spain ahead of stage to Barcelona. For further information: |
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Bike 4 Cancer Blog : 4th - 7th July
Groomie's videos