Longest Day

With everyone feeling at least a little better, we set off with some optimism for our last day’s cycling. Optimism proved an essential component for our longest day in the saddle……

The Challenges of the Day

• With different bikes, I struggled to clip into my cleats and should have guessed I would struggle to clip out! Yes, before leaving the resort carpark, I had fallen off. A bit battered and bruised but no major injuries, back to bike hire to fit my own pedals.

• Despite wishing the strong winds would subside, when they did, we realised just how hot it really was!

• We climbed 1513m, which felt a lot but is not even half of the climb of any day of The Raid Alpine Challenge!

• Finding ourselves cycling on a motorway when clearly we should have been on the parallel, much quieter and safer road!

• On our final 15 miles when we were (very) saddle sore and weary, we travelled for a few miles along the most uneven track where every bump added insult to our already very bruised and sore bottoms, arms, necks, hands…….

• The last 5 miles, the winds reappeared making us have to pedal to get down the last hill home

• After 115km, I couldn’t have done any more today

The Highlights

• We learned by going at our own pace, we could all do long distances uphill, where the hairpin bends and elevations resembled those of The Alps – a great confidence booster

• Great stops along the way

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• Great company and many laughs

• It has been great to cycle with Ewan and he has well and truly proved himself to be a fabulous team member

• We loved the ride and would do it again tomorrow if we could

• We feel better prepared for the challenge

• I am very well supported by The Cyclopath team

• We are in the top fours spots of The Raid Alpine Strava Leaderboard (I know – it is only Monday and everyone else was at work!)

A brilliant but hard week’s training completed.