Blog - Day 9 (Thu 30 May)
Granada-Guadix(
)
Granada has delivered it all - cancellation of planned additional member (see previous report), an abandon and return to the Scotland, a serious mechanical meaning we couldn't safely ride our planned route, helping out a former world champ.
The plan was for an early breakfast and early start. We all met at 0700, Chris told us that his mother had taken not well and that he had to return to the UK asap.
He had managed to rebook his flight from Malaga on the 31st.
CHRIS - At Granada train station waiting on train to Malaga. Turns out it is a public holiday today in Granada and I was very lucky to get a box from that shop nearby. I arrived as he was unlocking, he was there for 10 minutes on his way to Guadix with 6 gravel bikes (small world as this was our planned destination today) and he had one box out the back. No charge, he took off my pedals and I did the rest back at the hotel with help from the hotel giving me some tape, bubble wrap and some old bedding. Everyone very helpful.
For the rest of us, breakfast never made an appearance, we grabbed some oranges and goodbyes were said and we went off into The Badlands.
After a 3 mile climb we got to the start, puffed our chests out and entered “ The Land That Time Forgot”. Shit it was steep with perilous decents, marble covered flats and on the corners remains of bike parts and other body bits.
On a huge 15% climb “young” Eric tumbled his wikies. Fortunately the supply of Sevillies finest Oranges , hidden in his back pocket, cushioned the fall and saved him from a sore backside - apart from a large number of pricks stuck in his bum (not for the first time) from the local flora and fauna.
More crazy downhills until we popped out on to a main road, tarmac at last 10 miles done and ready for more
Screaming downhill to a cafe Gordon found out that his back brake was non-existent,( left on the growing pile of discarded parts on the trail?). Unable to fix this, and unsafe to ride the planned steep offroad sections, the decision was made to stick to the road on an alternative route that Brian provided and we were off.
Bizarrely Pro Team Astana were doing some hill training on our route. It was all perspiration and flashy cycling kit and that was just us.
“Resting” at the top we noticed a pro rider, clearly lost swearing on his phone in English with Gordon’s instructions he pointed him on his way with a “thanks guys” from Big Cav....Mark Cavendish (multiple Tour de France stage winner and former world champ).
Brians route was followed, “The Land That Time Forgot 2” was the offroad part. On our first climb we met a farmer who shook his head as we were on a goat track, somehow we got through it. (Brian gave explicit instructions, upon leaving the town do not turn right onto the gravel road .... guess what we did)
More climbs that went on forever, a meal in a garage where we copied the same meal from a Spanish cycle team.
We got to our hotel via a bike shop, Gordons bike will get fixed tomorrow so its a lie in for all and a change needed to the first part of tomorrow's route to help make up time.
This day has been described “as the day we cycled all day and got nowhere”
BTW it was boiling.
report by Eric McIntosh
ACTUAL STATS FOR THE DAY
Distance = 44.55 miles
Height Gain = 5,436 ft
Average Moving Speed = 8.8 mph
Ride Time = 5 hrs 03 min
Pedal Revolutions = 15,827
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
USER COMMENTS
think u all have a rough day take care
alexis (posted 2024-05-30 22:18:44)
Scenery looks amazing- so glad you’ve got the ???? to help out with route changes etc etc. Hope your bike is well repaired G. Keep safe amigos xxx
Iso (posted 2024-05-30 22:29:02)
The brain .
Iso (posted 2024-05-30 22:29:51)
Good report Eric. The kind of drama we were expecting. There as many photos of Chris in this report as have been for most of the previous ones. Keep falling, breaking, pushing and getting lost. The odds are only one will make it to Los Mon. And his name is Loye.
Rats&sinkingshipRu (posted 2024-05-30 22:31:49)
The brain .
Iso (posted 2024-05-31 16:09:56)
What an adventurous day! Report made me LOL. Good to see you kept your sense of humour. Hope Chris got back ok, shame he had to cut the tour short but family comes first. Looking
Forward to next episode. X
Jacqui (posted 2024-05-31 18:02:36)
It's an adventure right enough. What a shame for Chris. Keep it going guys. Well done on the report Eric... an entertaining read.
Gordon G. (posted 2024-05-31 21:06:30)