Day fifteen 15 June 2013

Stage 15 Utiel to Albacete

67 Miles

Today’s ride was shaping up to be another reasonably easy day. However, the forecast was showing a big glowing sun and with temperatures over 30 degrees. We left the hotel just after 8am and set off for our first stop in Villatya 22 miles along the N322. The conditions were perfect, light winds, cool temperature and flat smooth roads so we made good progress and met Steve at a Hotel/Truck stop service road and, as usual, he had picked a great spot in the shade. Suitably refreshed we set off towards the next stop. Our spirits were high and the previous days tiredness had given way to the urge to sing.

That would have been great but none of us could remember the full lyrics of any of the songs. Rawhide was popular, as we knew most of the words, but dum dedum substituted the forgotten verses. Various incomplete rugby songs were sung and other rude versions of popular hits were warbled out and thankfully the sparseness of the local population meant that no innocent bystanders suffered. We took a break from our X Factor practice sessions and stopped and took this picture.

 The singing stopped shortly after we left the truck stop as we needed all the oxygen we could suck in as we had a 7% climb for about 5 miles.  This proved not to be so tiresome as the ascents on the previous days. Over the past couple of weeks we have  developed our own ratings for the severity of the climbs we have encountered. Unfortunately some naughty words have slipped our grading system and therefore we cannot publish details. Whilst climbing this challenging hill, the temperature started to rise and we encountered a blistering 40 degrees and combined with the the arid air made the part of the ride a bit uncomfortable. Off the top of the hill was a different matter. The super smooth roads had a long decline, which made for fast and effortless pedalling to our next stop.

We met  Steve at the small town of Fuentealbilla. He had selected a shady spot once again and we tucked into our french bread, cheese , salami and Spam (yes Spam). Whilst stuffing our faces with the necessary nutrition we were approached by a local lad on a bike.Not just any old bike but an Specialized S Works bike (Binky, you need one of these , in white). The lad was Felipe Medina and he is the owner of the town's petrol station and he was keen to swop cycle stories and he wanted to swop

cycle tops. We duly swopped one of our Sky tops and we are now the proud owner of a rather nice top from the local cycle club (see tomorrows blog).

We were quickly joined by Felipe's friends, Jose Juan, Jaunito Spuknik and Arturo Valero.

Felipe's excellent English ensured that we were able to chat about cycling. They had already been out this morning (thus sensibly avoiding the heat of the midday sun) and they are planning to cycle over the Pyrenees next week.

Whilst chatting to Felipe, he asked if we knew anything about Spanish football and Andrés Iniesta. He is  a famous Barcelona player and he scored the winning goal (1-0) against Holland in the final of the 2010 world cup. It turns out that Andrés Iniesta is the son of Fuentealbilla and that he still has a house in the town. Felipe then took us to see the house and the small statue placed opposite it in his honour. All around were pictures and posters of the local lad made good and it was obvious they are very proud of his achievements.

Andrés Iniesta

 

We said our farewells to Felipe and we made  way back to the route to the next stop. Whilst cycling along, Foz let out a joyous cry. It turns out that his odometer on his bike hit 11,000 miles so we had to stop and take this picture.

Stage 16 tomorrow and the weather forecast is, you guessed it, sunny and hot and we are only cycling 59 miles, yipee!

Ride stats

Distance 68.96miles

Average speed 13.79 mph

Max speed 35.6 mph

Ride time 5 hours 0 minutes

Total miles 1209
(only 391 miles to go!)

Day fourteen 14th June 2013

Stage 14 Teruel to Utiel

68 mile

The dawn chorus that announced the start of the new day was orchestral in its magnitude accompanied by an equally bright sun and cloudless skies. Accumulated exhaustion was manifesting itself with tired limbs and a feeling of tiredness at the beginning of the day. With a struggle we hauled ourselves from our beds, kitted up, loaded the van and headed for breakfast. Fuel tanks suitably replenished we briefed up the day and then headed out before 08:45 hours.

Spirits were high after the previous days toils, aided by the fresh air and relatively flat roads heading out of town. We knew the course to the first stop would be a welcome relief and it absolutely lived up to expectations. The surroundings were hugely pleasing to the eye with colour, variety and fertility in abundance. Teruel sits in an oasis of pleasantness with rich terracotta soils and evidence of agriculture abounds. 

Having left town the verges to the road were a symphony of colour with splashes of crimson, yellow, white and lavender offset with the intense green of the grasses flowing away to our left and right. The morning breeze sent ripples through the upturned stems and a gentle swish meandered across the lands. Beyond were a plethora of vegetable patches neatly dividing up the landscape, interspersed with groups of trees, equally varied, displaying a spectrum of greens set against an azure sky.

We then cycled through a scene reminiscent of monument valley with relatively gently sloping hills topped with stark vertical sided angular flat tops, the red of the rock mottled with sprigs of greenery.

8%, we salute you!

The calm was broken by three off tune singers breaking into a variety of tunes, all off key and the words ill remembered. Soft pedalling was the order of the day, taking in the wonder that abounded and a timely chance to preserve energy. The road twisted and turned gently with each bend bringing new delights. Soon rocky cliffs rose up on either side flanked by thick stretches of tress, some of which closed in above us as we rode, bringing with it a fresh coolness aided by bubbling streams meandering as they flowed. How delightful it would have been to stop and have a picnic or sit lazily on the river banks with a rod in hand, unconcerned as to whether the float would bob or not.

All too soon the first 22 miles were over and as we broke cover from this wonderland we took a right turn off the N330, stopping in the small town of Torrebaja. Steve as ever was waiting with fresh supplies of French sticks, cheese, ham, salami and fizzy drinks. Back in the saddle we headed back out of town. Almost immediately the surrounding countryside had returned to aridness with stunted pines littering the landscape.

A photo opportunity of a hillside village from a bridge and before long we were into another long climb. The sun was beating and the temperature was up into the mid thirties. A low gear and grind out a rhythm to get to the top was the order of the day. As we strung out and entered our own zones, it was an opportune period to make peace with the spirits and to think of the people important in our lives both past and present.

As the climb commenced there was an abundance of yellow on either side of the road, acting as our fanfare. That soon changed to sheer walls of white rock acting as an amphitheatre. The intensity of the heat was amplified as it rebounded around this cauldron and we half expected to hear a roar of expectation from an invisible and demanding crowd, at the first sign that one of the toiling gladiators should slip or falter.

Not far from Lenciana (not posed at all)

Eventually the summit was reached with beads of effort flowing freely past brows, into blinking eyes and dripping from the ends of noses. The saltiness stabbed the eyes causing involuntary wincing. The fanfare of yellow at the commencement had returned for the finale of the climb too. The Director Sportive was at the summit, ensuring that bidons were replenished before setting off again. The worst of the toil was over and flatter lands beckoned. We turned off the main road, passing through a small village and then another cheeky climb followed. Before long we were into more fertile and green lands again, the odd farmer and his tractor enlivening the vista.

We saw this tree and would like any of you followers to name it.

What is this growing?

Back onto the main road and a few miles to the next roadside stop set amongst some pines. More cheese bread and ham and a natter in the shade of the trees before the final miles to day’s end. Another change of scenery beckoned, as we broke from pine clad rolling hills onto flatter plains with small vineyards dotted here and there. What should have been an easy roll in proved more taxing with a punchy headwind forcing us into a low tuck and a weary grimace as we ground out the last few miles.

Hotel suitably located we then set about some cycle maintenance to keep the steeds in fine fettle for the last six days.

What's this all about?

Ride stats

Distance 67.8 miles

Average speed 13.3 mph

Max speed 29.5mph

Ride time 5 hours 06 minutes

Total miles 1142

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We push on

   

  

The Fozball Team