'Cycling is Life - Life is Cycling'
Tekst en uitleg bij de voorbereiding richting de Transiberica 2021.
The story of preparing for the 2021 Transiberica.
P 1
Geheugenruimte / Memory space
1/03/21 – 23u45
Vervelen met wanneer exact ik mij heb aangemeld voor de Transiberica 2021 en wanneer mijn inschrijving is goedgekeurd ga ik niet doen. Ik weet het eigenlijk zelfs niet meer, ik check mijn inbox wel als iemand ernaar vraagt. Geheugenruimte is voor zaken zoals ‘Stalhille – zondag 2 oktober 2005 – junioren – 1. STAELENS Gert-Jan (Aalter), 89,7km in 2u19’ . Een beloning voor hard werk, regelmaat en luisteren naar mijn ouders.
I will not bore you with the exact date of my Transiberica 2021 appplication & when it was approved. I actually really don’t know when it was, I’ll check mijn inbox when somebody asks. Memory space is for things like ‘Stalhille – sunday 2 october 2005 – juniors – 1. STAELENS Gert-Jan (Aalter), 89,7km in 2h19’. A reward for hard work, consistency and listening to my parents.
P 2
E-sporten / E-sports
2/03/21 – 11u30
100km is ook voor mij nog steeds ver. Het zijn echter maar 5 stukken van 20km of 10 stukken van 10km.
10km is ongeveer de afstand van huis naar Falco of van Denderleeuw naar huis. Die drie punten keer op keer verbinden zorgt voor heel wat kilometers. Het wil ook zeggen dat ik praktisch dagelijks op de fiets zit. Ik ben niet beschaamd om te zeggen dat dit met een speed-pedelec is. Puur functioneel fietsen is dus ook training.
Dat e-biken gaat ook relatief snel. Belangrijke tijdswinst in mijn huidig leven met 2 jobs en de voorbereiding op de Transiberica 2021.
For me, 100km is also quiet a discance. However, it’s only 5 times 20km or 10 times 10km.
10km is roughly the distance between home & Falco or between Denderleeuw & home. Connecting these three points results in a lot of km’s. I also ensures that I ride my/a bike on a daily basis. Not ashamed to admit that a lot of these km’s are ridden on a e-bike. Functional cycling is also training.
Riding an e-bike helps me with my time-management. Combining 2 jobs and preparing for the Transiberica 2021 is already hard enough.
P 3
Terugblik I / Flashback I
2/03/21 – 12u30
Brevet des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) 1000km
Start: 2/8/18 om 9u
Finish: 5/8/18 om 02u30
Brevet des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) 1000km
Start: 2/8/18 at 9u
Finish: 5/8/18 at 02u30
P 4
168u / 168h
8/03/21
Time-management is voor mij ‘knip-en-plak’-werk. Niet op weekbasis maar op dagbasis en vaak halve-dagbasis. De basis = Omgevingsambtenaar Denderleeuw (19u) / Falco cycling & coffee (35u, openingsuren) / Woon-werk (14u). De overige 100u doe ik mijn zin of niet?
Juist, ik mag niet vergeten naar de Colruyt te gaan vanavond.
Time-management is quite an issue for me. There is no ‘week schedule’. It’s all day by day. Basic week: Civil Servant Denderleeuw (19u) / Falco cycling & coffee (35h, opening hours) / Commute (14h). Completely free the remaining 100h, or not?
Reminder, don’t forget to go to Colruyt for groceries.
P 5
Jij zegt, ik voer uit / You say, I execute
9/03/21
‘LangeAfstandsFietsen’ is een discipline op zich maar de puur fysieke opbouw kan je vergelijken met ‘gewoon’ wielrennen. Er worden sprintjes getrokken, intervals en duurtrainingen gedaan.
Als een soort van mentale ‘energie-besparingsmaatregel’ laat ik mij begeleiden. De expert ter zake is niemand minder dan mijn broer (1 van de 3), Dieter. Talentvolle triatleet, gepatenteerd hardrijder en bedenker van menig trainings- en wedstrijdplan. Hij zegt, legt op, beveelt — Ik voer uit. Dat het trainingsschema meestal op de achterzijde van een envelop staat geschreven is een leuke anekdote maar die krabbels hebben wel hun effect.
In maart 2019 ging ik in de omgeving van Girona een weekje op trainingskamp met een specifiek ‘Dieter-schema’ in de bagage. 6 weken later kom ik na 41u, 500km en 10 000hm, als 1ste aan in Eupen (A-Cross the 3 — https://www.act5.be/)
Long Distance Cycling is a discipline in itself but purely physical you can compare it to ‘normal’ cycling. Sprints are drawn, intervals and endurance training are done.
I have to spend my mental energy wisely, therefore I asked a trainer to make training schedules. My trainer is not just anybody, it’s my brother (1 of 3), Dieter. Talented triathlete, very strong cyclists and master of making schedules or game plans for races. He says, imposes, commands — I execute. It’s amusing to tell people that most of the schedules are written on an envelope but they work.
In March 2019 I went training (on my own, 1 week) in Girona with one of his special training schemes. 6 weeks later I arrive 1st in Eupen after doing 500km, 10000m+ of offroad bikepacking (A-Cross the 3 — https://www.act5.be/).
#lifeiscyling #cyclingislife #falcohalle #ultracycling #endurancecycling #transiberica2021 #transiberica #cyclingblog #worldbybike #training
P 6
Cijfers / Numbers
Transiberica 2021 =
9 controlepunten
3300 kilometer (minimum…)
2265m hoogste punt (controlepunt 5: Bola del Mundo)
Transiberica 2021 =
9 checkpoints
3300 kilometers (at least…)
2265m highest point (checkpoint 5: Bola del Mundo)
P 7
Slaap A / Sleep A
22/03/21
Randonneursbrevet 200, 300, 600km: geen slaap
A-cross the 3 2019, offroad, 500km: 4uur slaap
A-cross the 5 2017, offroad, 1200km: 4 keer +-4uur slaap
Randonneursbrevet 1000km 2018: 1 keer 5uur slaap
Het aantal uur je wil/kan/moet slapen is afhankelijk van heel veel factoren. Op de weg ga je sneller vooruit dan offroad, veel klimwerk zorgt ook voor een langere rijtijd of misschien wil je gewoon de fietsers die je enkele uren terug passeerde voorblijven?
Voor een meerdaags event of een trainings ‘overnighter’ start ik voorbij middernacht met het zoeken naar een slaapplaats en probeer te stoppen rond 1u om daarna omstreeks 6u terug te vertrekken. Dat is 5u stoppen om er zeker 4u te kunnen slapen. Onderschat niet de tijd die je gebruikt om je te ‘installeren’ en terug klaar te maken voor een nieuwe dag in het zadel.
Eerlijk gezegd heb ik nog nooit geslapen waar ik eigenlijk gepland had om te slapen…
Audax rides 200, 300, 600km: no sleep
A-cross the 3 2019, offroad, 500km: 4h of sleepp
A-cross the 5 2017, offroad, 1200km: 4 times +-4h of sleep
Audax ride 1000km 2018: 1 time 5h of sleep
The amount of hours you have/need/want to sleep is influenced by many factors. Riding on road goes faster than offroad, a lot of climbing in your route may prolonge your overall riding time or maybe you just want to keep the competition behind?
During long distance-events or training ‘overnighter’ rides I usually start looking for a sleeping spot around midnight. Hoping tot find a spot around 1am and aiming to leave again at 6am. That’s a 5h stop to have a 4h sleep. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to get ready for the night and to kit back up again for another day in the saddle.
Honestly, I actually never slept on the spot where I planned…
P 8
Twijfel / Doubt
25/03/21
De aanloop naar een wedstrijd of een groot event is voor mij altijd een, vaak lange, periode van twijfel.
Aan wat? Gewoonweg ALLES.
Waarom? Omdat ALLES belangrijk is.
Lange aftandsfietsen is minstens 50% mentaal. En het helpt niet als je twijfelt aan je conditie, materiaalkeuze of als dat laatste koekje daarnet echt nodig was.
Vandaag twijfelde ik echter vooral aan mezelf. Ben ik moe of lui? De twijfel heeft ervoor gezorgd dat ik mijn training zelfs niet startte. Ga ik er spijt van hebben?
Misschien morgen reserveren voor het twijfelen over bandenkeuze.
The time prior to an event or race has always been a long period of doubt.
Doubting what? Simply EVERYTHING.
Why? Because EVERYTHING is important.
Endurance cycling is at least 50% mentally. Doubting your choices of gear, physical fitness or asking yourself if that last cookie was a good idea, doesn’t help.
Today I was doubting myself. Am I tired or lazy? I didn’t train because of that doubt. Will I regret this?
Tomorrow, I’ll probably doubt about my choice of tyres for the Transiberica.
P 9
The struggle is real
10/04/2021
Enkele weken terug een soort ‘klop van de hamer’ gekregen. Na enkele stevige trainingsweken was ik moe en ik bleef moe. Vervelend als je toch nog steeds de goesting, de drive hebt om door te gaan.
Bij een weegschaal-check bleek ik ook op korte tijd enkele kg’s te zijn kwijtgespeeld. ‘Leuk!’ zou je kunnen denken maar dit afvallen ging even te drastisch.
Voor de Transiberica hoop ik af te klokken op 100kg. Nee, niet als lichaamsgewicht maar wel als totaalgewicht van fiets, bepakking en ja, mijzelf.
Het zal mij dwingen om keuzes te maken qua materiaal en kledij. Dat is goed want ‘Pack what you need, not what you might need.’
Kind of crashed mentally & physically a few weeks ago. I was tired after a few weeks of hard training and my recovery wasn’t on point. Pretty annoying if you want to keep going but you can’t.
On the scale, I realised I lost quiet some weight in a short time. It wasn’t that handy or welcome as it sounds.
My goal weight for the Transiberica is 100kg. Not as bodyweight but the weight, bike + gear + myself, in total that my legs will have to push.
This number will force me to make choices. But hey, the pro’s always say ‘Pack what you need, not what you might need.’
P 10
In every down, there's an up
Krachtige en ijskoude noordenwind. Vermoeide benen na een tempotraining op Zwift. Geen idee naar waar ik deze keer zou rijden.
Allemaal ingrediënten om van 25 april 2021 één van de slechtste dagen van de voorbije maanden te maken.
185km puur op karakter.
Lichtpunt. Verschil tussen ‘beweegtijd’ en ‘vertreken tijd’. Slechts 28min aan plas/foto/ravitopauzes.
Strong and ice cold northern wind. Tired legs after an intense training on Zwift. Absolutely no clue which route I would take for this training.
The perfect storm you could say. Last sunday, the 25th of april 2021 was one ofthe worst training days of the last month.
185km, purely on character.
Positive point. The difference between ‘moving time’ and ‘elapsed time’. Only 28minutes spent on pee/picture/foodbreaks.
P 11
You should turn professional
Ik
I
word
turn
prof!
pro!
P 12
BikeFit Friday
24/05/2021
Van sommige blessures geraak je echt heel moeilijk af. Tijdens de French Divide van 2019 slaagde ik er in om mijn rechterknie op die manier te beschadigen dat ik er sindsdien mee op de sukkel ben.
Herstelopties in de vorm van rust, ijs en voltaren-gel, MRI, stretching en kiné konden niet voor een volledig herstel zorgen. BikeFitting kwam er ook aan te pas met op dat moment weinig wijzigingen qua positie.
Bijna elke training afwerken met opspelende kniepijn begon echter ook steeds meer mentaal zijn tol te eisen. Het motto ‘leer leven met de pijn’ is misschien wel stoer maar op lange termijn, zowel fysiek als mentaal, heel ongezond.
Op aanraden van Siebe Roesems een afspraak geboekt bij Kine8 in Viane. BikeFit-aanpak aan de hand van lichaams- en mobiliteitsanalyse door kiné waarna een bikefitter met de vaststellingen aan de slag gaat.
Long story short –> mijn knieprobleem komt waarschijnlijk voor uit een probleem met mijn schouder/schouderblad. Compensatiegedrag heeft zijn weerslag op de manier mijn rechterbeen ‘draait’.
BikeFit aanpassingen –> zadel lager en naar achter / schoenplaatjes (blauwe spd-sl) naar achter.
Met korte ritjes laat ik mijn lichaam gewoon worden aan de nieuwe positie.
Some injuries are hard to get rid of. During the 2019 French Divide is damaged my knee in such way it is still causing me troubles.
Trying to recover with rest, ice, Voltaren, MRI, stretching and physio couldn’t help me to fully recover. Got a standard Bikefit also but there were no big modifications.
Unfortunately, training almost every day with pain in my knee was taking its toll mentally. ‘Live with the pain’ might sound brave or cool but it’s very unhealthy on the long term.
Siebe Roesems advised me to go for a BikeFit at Kine8 in Viane. You’re mobility and functionality gets checked before a bikefitter starts modifying the bike according your ‘issues’.
Long story short –> my shoulder/shoulder blade might be causing my knee pain. Compensating this issue affects my legs causing pain in my right knee.
BikeFit mods –> saddle lower and back / shoe cleats (blue spd-sl) back.
Doing small rides to get my body used to the new position.
Bombtrack Audax – aka Bumblebee – zonder tassen, aerobars, verlichting.
Bombtrack Audax – aka Bumblebee – without bags, aerobars, lights.
P 13
Too hot or not too hot
Het heeft even geduurd maar de zomer is begonnen. Tijd om de korte broek en de korte mouwen boven te halen.
Eigenlijk moet de zonnecrème dan ook worden bovengehaald. Maar daarvoor is er natuurlijk eerst een pijnlijke herinnering nodig…
In augustus zal ik extra moeten opletten. Verbrande armen zijn niet alleen pijnlijk, het kost het lichaam ook ongelofelijk veel energie om de huid te herstellen. Energie die ik beter kan spenderen aan het fietsen.
Factor 50+ in the stuurtas.
It took some time but summer has begun. Time to take out the short bibs en shirts.
Simultaneously, the sun cream should be taken out of the cupboard at the same moment. As always, you first need a painful reminder…
Sunburn will be an issue in august. Burnt arms and legs aren’t just painful, the body spends also a lot of energy on recovering from it. Energy that could and should be used for pushing the pedals.
Factor 50+ sun cream in the front bag.
P 14
Cold knees
De voorbije weken rij ik bewust rond in mijn korte broek. Het is er door de kwakkelzomer niet altijd het weer voor maar er zit een bedoeling achter, nl. gewenning. De voorbije jaren trok ik mijn knie/beenstukken routineus aan tijdens avond- en nachtritten. Vooral uit zorg/schrik voor de kniespieren en pezen.
De voorbije weken hebben mij echter geleerd dat avonden/nachten aan 14-15°C geen probleem vormen voor de knieën. Ik heb het idee dat het zelfs voor wat afkoeling zorgt tijdens het rijden. Gewenning (bijna) geslaagd dus.
Naar Spanje gaan er wel sowieso arm- en kniestukken mee. Is het niet voor koude nachten dan toch om mij te beschermen tegen de zon.
P15
Transiberica 2021
Day 1
The first ‘raceday’ is a strange one because the start is at 9 pm. You have a whole day to prepare for the start. Some like it, some don’t. Some take naps, some run around nervously and keep double checking their gear. The Transiberica 2021 starts at the Guggenheim Museum. Getting there is easy, Ellen and I arrived in Bilbao a few days earlier and the museum was the first thing we went to look for.
Ellen takes a ‘pre-race-pic’ before I join the other participants. Everybody is prepared for the night, wearing reflective gear and having at least 1 rear light already blinking. Almost Christmas. Hippy is the first rider I see, he’s a former 24h TT World Champ and specialized in endurance events. Also, he twitters all day long during events.
I’m one of three Belgians in the race. Yves Conen and Simon De Schutter are the other two. We accidentally meet at the rear of the bunch and have a little chat. Before lining up for the group-picture I find Ellen for a (few) goodbye-kiss(es). It’s all up to me now. Maurten sponsors the event, I squeeze one of the goodiebag-gels into my mouth and flush it down with some water.
There’s a fixed route to leave Bilbao, we’re accompanied by the media car and a police car. The amount of traffic lights is huge and annoying. Constantly pulling up and braking. I try to stay at the front of the group to easily avoid potholes. When the media car slows down and pulls aside we’re all free to go. The Transiberica is a ‘free-route-event’, so now and then somebody takes a left/right turn because he/she is following the route they made. This is quite dangerous in the first km’s because there’s a lot of drafting (although prohibited).
Shit is hitting the fan (for me) when everybody leaves the big road we’re on while my Komoot-route tells me I have to keep following it. But I just can’t ignore the ‘cyclists forbidden’-sign. Some zooming in/out on my Garmin and smartphone helps me finding an alternative. We’re 40km in the event and I’m not amused.
Finding water was my biggest concern during preparation. Each village should have a public water fountain but it’s not always on an easy reachable place or along the route through the village. I mounted 3 750ml-bottles on Bumblebee (my Bombtrack Audax 2020) to avoid dehydration. ‘Water-tactics’ are quite easy during this first night. Whenever I cross a village I just look out for a square or playgarden (without really slowing down). No fountain spotted? Up to the next village! Food is no problem, I packed plenty of it to cover at least 24hrs.
Temperatures don’t drop much during this first night. Road conditions are good. Sprinklers watering maïs are this nights soundtrack.
When the sun rises I don’t feel like I have been riding all night. I find a café in, Lanaja, a small village. ‘2 coffees and 2 coca cola, por favor’. It’s a short stop but my sore knee deserves some rest (and a small painkiller). I pour 1 cola, together with all the ‘chielo’ (ice) in a bottle. The next stretch is through a small desert. Some farmers try to grow some crops, I don’t think they’re very successful. I miss a turn while taking pictures with my smartphone. Not wanting to take any guesses I turn back to find the right track. ‘Crap! It’s offroad.’ Rerouting adds some extra km’s, including a long downhill.
While heading for the City of Cape, my front wheel starts wobbling. Before I know what’s happening I’m riding on my rim. No real damage to be found so I use a CO2-cartridge to pump it up again. No immediate loss of air so I pack my things and leave (to stop again 5km further with another flat…). I decide to give up the tubeless setup in my front wheel and put an inner tube in it. I’m not amused, again. In the middel of the afternoon I reach Gandesa. I’m cooked and stop at a gas station to buy water and ice-cream. The lady at the counter asks if I’m ‘ok’. My body starts realizing this ride is going to be a hard one. Maybe trying to avoid riding in the midday-sun?
The terrain is hilly. CP1, Mont Caro, is ‘just around the corner’. It takes a small climb and a fantastic downhill and valley to get to the foot of the mountain. It’s still warm and there’s a thunderstorm is forming. Thick raindrops are falling when I start the 15km-ascent to the top. Putting on a rain jacket looked like a good idea but it’s too hot. I take it off and continue. I’m happy when the sky clears a bit while pushing my smallest gear (32×34). 6-7-8% is ok, 9% and steeper is too much for my weight class. The road surface is getting worse every km. There’s a mirador (viewpoint) on the top. After a selfie I’m putting on the rain jacket to avoid getting cold on the descent.
Although I’m proud to have ticked off the first CP in less than 24hrs, I’m thinking about scratching. It’s the usual ‘1st day in an event-depression’ that is hitting me hard. I already asked a lot of my body and might have overestimated my abilities. I look, and find, a campsite not far from the track. On my way to it I cross Hippy and Fanny. It’s a gravel campsite but there’s a bathroom and water. We’ll see after a few hours of sleep
Stats of day 1: 574km – 5 956m elevation
P16
Transiberica 2021
Day 2
There was no need for a sleeping bag. Temperatures only dropped a few degrees and thunderstorms stayed away. When I turn off the alarm clock on my smartphone I still feel beaten up by the first 24hrs. I might give up today, I could give up today.
I leave the campsite at 4am. No people or cars on the road and temperatures are enjoyable. Checkpoint 2 is on the edge of the Pyrenees. To get there, I’m riding a part of yesterdays course in the other direction. The sweet downhill from yesterday is now a 9km climb.
Further, it’s going up and down along dark roads. There’s almost no wind but the amount of windmills suggest it can be quite windy in this place. Each one has at least one red light blinking, pre-christmas feeling.
When the sun rises I’m thinking about getting a coffee and breakfast. It sounds romantic (like crossing the Riba-Roja-dam while the sun is rising) but breakfast during these events is all about eating as much as you want/can (without making yourself sick). In the morning I prefer sugar over proteins. It’s the other way around in the evening. Because I took off early I already have done 80km when I find shop for my ‘coffee, donut, croissant, snickers, cookie’-fix. Those stops are also used to take off some extra clothes.
The legs are turning, not very fast but not very slow either. The profile on my Komoot-app shows a steady uphill for the next 140km before hitting the CP 2-gravel section. Temperatures are rising again and my stomach is having some trouble digesting everything. Luckily, the corn on the fields is almost full-grown…
A few ‘2 coffees & 2 coca cola’-stops keep me going. I’m not very hungry during the hottest time of the day. I cross the Transiberica media-car just past Escalona. ‘Only few km’s of these roads to start of the climb.’ Good for the moral but one hour later I’m still not near Nérin (start of CP 2). The scenery is amazing but I’m not amused.
It doesn’t get better when I arrive at the only hotel/café near the CP. There’s a big sign on the entrance of the terrace: ‘Only for Hotel Visitors’. A vending machine saves the day. Always have some spare change is a good ultra-endurance-tip (although is ‘weighs’…). The gravel is how I like it and how it should be interpreted. I might upload a picture of it on the gravel Wikipedia-page.
8, 9 & 10 are the most common numbers on my gps. Pacing this climb on the 32×32, keeping my 34 for emergencies. Simon De Schutter is descending when I’m almost halfway. We have a short chat before hitting the gravel again. The climb reminds me of one of the ascents in the Auvergne during the French Divide 2019. No trees, some patches of grass but mostly rocks and gravel. And there’s always the next turn that takes you higher.
The last 300-400m to reach the finish of the CP belong in the category ‘american gravel’, chunky. I’m walking the final stretch not to challenge my tires too much. The view at the checkpoint was worth the suffering and deserves a few minutes of ‘soaking in’. But there’s also no time to waste, it’s too early to stop riding and I want to get to the nearest shop before it closes.
No need for extra clothes on the descent, it’s still hot enough. On my way down I come across several other riders (Fanny, Yves,…) and the media-car. I’m wishing them all good luck and I’m happy to get back in Nérin without puncturing.
Fiscal is the perfect place for refueling and it lies after a magnificent descent. Time to get some extra proteins (chicken!) in and to buy some extra food for the night and the next morning. I stuff most of it in my Topeak freeloader and a small, foldable, backpack. Leaving Fiscal is unexpectedly hard. Not because I’m tired, just because of the road that is going up again. The last 2km’s are through a tunnel. I’m grateful for the supervisors of the tunnel for lowering the max speed in the tunnel to 50km/h while I’m riding through it. It could be coincidence but what are the odds? Gracias!
Jaca will be todays endpoint after the early start. There’s a campsite. It’s ‘full’ but I can bivy next to a caravan.
Stats of day 2: 332,39km – 4 892m elevation
Stats at the end of day 2: 783km – 10 848m elevation
P17
Transiberica 2021
Day 3
‘It will be hot!’ was one of the most common reactions when I told people I would be racing the Transiberica. I’m thinking about it when I put on all of my clothes after my bivy on the campsite.
It’s 5am when I leave Jaca, 6°C on my gps. Downhill parts are fun, unless it’s cold. High RPM’s keep me warm until the first uphill. The Bardenas Reales Desert is CP 3 and should be ticked off today. To get to that piece of ‘flatland’ I have to cross a small mountain range. There are a few not so steep but irregular climbs. Villages are far apart in this region, wildlife rules the world between them.
The sun is rising and when I’m on the top of a climb I spot a bike light in the valley behind me. It’s some kind of a relief knowing there’s at least one person also taking this route. Chunky and smooth asfalt are mixed up on the road to Sadaba. It’s a small town and the ‘gate’ to the Bardenas Reales Desert, there’s a strong wind blowing. I meet Simon De Schutter at the local gas station. He flew past me on the last descent. He had a good sleep in a hotelbed.
My ‘Gas station’-breakfast is all about candy, cookies and ice cream. I’m still chewing when I leave for the Bardenas desert. After a few kms on a big road I turn left on an unpaved road. It’s a lot more ‘mountainbiky’ than yesterdays smooth gravel. The only thing I can do is follow the track on my gps. It takes me through overgrown single tracks, dirt roads and a few short but rocky descents. A lot of ‘route-check’-stops slow me down to a frustrating tempo. Romantic Bardenas Reales-pictures on google are overrated. I’m not amused.
After another stop, to load the mandatory CP3-track, the gravel turns smoother but still sketchy. It’s proven by a puncture. I’m trying to change the tire in recordtime but the strong wind keeps blowing my stuff away. Leaving no trace is a hard thing to do.
The Bardenas Realas Desert is a touristic destination and apparently freely accessible for cars. There are soms weird looks from ‘real tourists’ when they pass me. I try to keep a good pace while avoiding the worst pieces of road. It’s on the last km of the CP that I pass the famous ‘erosion rocks’. A quick picture but nothing more. Time to get rid of this CP. Simon wraps up the section almost simultaneously. While the gravel might be over now, there’s still a brutal headwind.
Luckily things are about to change.
CP 4, Albarracin, lies more than 200km south of CP 3. The headwind becomes a tailwind. I’m stopping at a small shop just before the beginning of the siesta. My second ice cream melts almost completely while I’m eating my first. It’s hot and will be even hotter in a few hours.
Staying focused is very important. I’m riding on big roads with a lot of trucks and cars. Knowing Spanish drivers always keep a safe distance comforts me but you’re still the most vulnerable in traffic. The aero bars are helping me to get some extra speed and progress is good. I know Simon and Yves are somewhere in front of me. I’m not amused (again) when I’m meant to go left on a gravel section. Checking my route on my phone shows that I somehow managed to implement a ‘gravel-shortcut’ in my route to Albarracin. Not keen on taking more ‘puncture-risks’ I re-route along normal roads.
Stops are kept short because I don’t want to slow down my progress and I’m running out of daylight. I’m pushing big gears on an amazing road that will take me almost straight to the CP 4. Somehow I expected having to climb a steep section to reach the village but apparently I made it all up. Anticipating on an early start, I fill up my bottles and small backpack in one of the shops.
There’s a campsite not far from the city centre. I’m just on time to get a pizza, refreshing shower and charge my gps, power banks,…
Stats of day 3: 402km – 3 751m elevation
Stats at the end of day 3: 1 185km – 14 599m elevation
P18
Transiberica 2021
Day 4
The rocky underground of the campsite warmed up during daytime making the sleeping bag overkill. Getting up is getting harder each day. Pro tip: walking with bare feet on a rocky surface helps getting you fired up for the day. It’s still dark, I’m double-checking to avoid leaving gear behind.
I’m leaving Albarracin, it’s rather warm for a morning. Breakfast will have to wait until shops and/or cafés open. No worries, I’m prepared, saving food is one of my specialties and bottles were filled at the campsite. Looking on my Garmin, I’m still amazed about the altitude I’m riding on. It varies between 1100 and 1400m while I’m used to riding between 50 and 250m in Belgium… It’s a beautiful sunrise and surprisingly the temperatures start to drop. My arm and knee warmers are firmly tucked in and I’m putting on an extra neck warmer. It will be hot they said…
After passing a shepherd and a few small villages I spot a cyclist in the distance. It’s Yves. He’s cold and looking forward to his first coffee of the day. The views are really ‘Spanish’, again, a big road without houses, winding up and down.
With 75km done, it’s time for a ‘gas station-breakfast’. Caffeine is priority. And chocolate(milk). And gummy bears, lots of it. Adding water for fun. It’s 15°C, a lot better than the 6°C a few hours ago. Refuel-stops are ideal for changing clothes, re-packing gear,… I try to avoid eating too much, it slows you down. It’s better to get going and eat things while easily pedaling.
The tempo is good, it’s not that windy and the roads are great. Yves is somewhere behind me, I think.
Ticking of the next CP will be difficult and will not be for today. It’s a 192km stretch through the ‘Sierra de Guadarrama’. A mountain range of which we have to climb 3 cols. It’s a matter of beginning the CP, finding a spot to sleep and completing it tomorrow.
In the afternoon, temperatures rise to 38°C. I’m happy to find bars to do fast ‘coca+chielo-stops’. Another layer of sunscreen is applied. My lips are giving me a hard time. They are getting blistered and it’s getting painful eating salty foods. During siësta the roads are abandoned and it’s safer to ride from shadow spot to shadow spot. The public fountain in Tamajon is a refreshing blessing. This is the last stop before reaching the start of CP4 at Majaelrayo.
Unnecessary kilometers aren’t fun, unless it’s with a promise of food. The centre of Majaelrayo has a few shops/bars, the first I spot is open. There isn’t that much choice but bread, cheese, coffee and cola is all I need. The day is 250km and 2700m+ old and not finished yet. The first climb of this CP takes me to 1750m of altitude. It looks like a road to nowhere. Potholes and shrubbery as decoration. Here & then a cow. My legs appreciate the small descents during the long climb. I’m happy to ride the descent during daylight, the asphalt isn’t that much better.
The sun is setting & I’m looking forward to eat some ‘real’ food. Sepulveda is the place to be. A hostel is willing to take us in and cook some food. I’m sharing a room with Yves, we seem to meet each other over and over again.
Tomorrow is a new day to try to shake him off.
Stats of day 4: 314km – 3 717m elevation
Stats at the end of day 4: 1 499km – 18 316m elevation
