2019's bright idea: cycle to Gibraltar via 21 back-to-back centuries. Let's help M.N.D. research, Bloodwise and Blesma! Wagon rolls on Friday 20th September...
Wakey-wakey, rise and oh do we have to do this again so soon, hah-hah! No early breakfast in this otherwise lovely place, so it's away to try to navigate the cobbles and the avenues and alleyways of Xativa at dawn...
Gladiators, are you ready? No. Not remotely. Let's go!
I was worried about today's (and tomorrow's) route from way out. Okay so far!
Generalisation time: your average Spaniard must have a sweet tooth, judging by the range of junk on offer...dans yer France, there will be a decent amount of savoury gear. Just my early morning observation born out of frustration, hah-hah!
Already been shunted onto the service road but the view's okay.
And this is what kicks the stuffing out of you: punctures only a matter of time and who knows where this is leading?
Nice bridging in the meantime.
The Via Camino (service road) is meant to shadow the Autovia (which I'm not supposed to ride along) and provide an alternative to saddos like me.
However, and I am really not having a go at Google here, there has been a new railway line built and basically that has naused-up what was in place before. May I present exhibit A, M'Lud...
What the actual?
All told, I had to drag YP for about 2 miles. Fun, fun, fun!
Please make this stop, hah-hah!
The Coup de grâce: a throwback to Namibia, last December!
The effects of this unbelievable route were that I burned more than a few matches to get through it, and the amount of time lost to the day.
Puts you in a good frame of mind, does it not? To be fair, I didn't meltdown because this was unforeseen: I used Google Earth to recce the exit from Xativa onto the first main road because it looked dodgy, but there was no inkling of this.
Do you know what the kicker is? I reckon that I could have ridden on the Autovia after all, hah-hah!
Anyway, I was eventually back onto tarmac and rarely have felt quite so grateful.
These were new a month ago. Lordy.
My kinda surface, thank you!
Nice to see the regions changing...fools you into assuming progress, hah-hah!
Ooh-woooh-ooh, Caudete!
Today's plan was always to try for Murcia: bang-on 100 miles and with over 4000 feet of climbing in over 30c, I reckoned that was fair enough.
Given the ridiculously slow first-half of the day, it seemed a tad unrealistic. As ever, nothing stays the same on this ride...I resigned myself to another 7pm finish and plodded-on, as per.
No ice today, Chief.
Well, at least it ain't ceramics.
Could be back in The US with a view like this!
So the temps are in the low 30s, time ebbs, you feel a bit drained and then you happen across this view!
Booking in for a free mile, excellent!
So I bomb down and eventually the guys who have reached the top and also descended pass me, and they ignore a 'Road Closed' sign on the route that I need.
I close the gap and manage to ask if I can get through to Murcia as intended? Si, si...follow us Senor! Dunno how they knew my name but that was a nice touch, lads.
After the terrain that I was on earlier, this is nuthin'!
Valid reason for road closure, granted.
The group slowed a bit and towed me for about 5 miles: still doing Mach 2 though...eventually I saw sense (alright there was a climb coming) and thanked them profusely whilst having a coronary, hah-hah! Just hope my knee sees the funny side tomorrow...
I Googled and found an Ibis in Murcia...an excellent gaff as it goes, and they welcome berks with two wheels in tow. Result!
Evening Murcia!
This day was so ridiculous that it ranks up with the madness of the first week of this tour: no higher praise have I than that.
I'm worried about tomorrow's route too: this part of Espana is not geared to providing alternatives to cyclists, outside of city centres. All that said, we are getting a bit nearer to Gib each day. Please continue!
Despite the surroundings, I had a decent 6 hours sleep...still, not liking the alarm going-off and signalling the start of it all again, hah-hah!
Boom- here we go again!
Breakfast was minimal so I was glad of a stop at a nearby Repsol for a sandwich and the always needed bananas. Funny how I hardly eat the blighters except when on the bike!
It's either growing stuff or cement factories in Spain, as far as I can make out. #incisive
One when nobody was around.
Lovely to see that Keith Deller has diversified.
Mildly conflicting messages.
Ah, more on point!
For once, progress was where it oughta be (savour this) and I was approaching Valencia before too long. This was always going to be tricky, and it didn't disappoint. Lordy...it took ages!
Harsh- we're giving it everything!
And I thought it was Grange Hill. D'oh!
I only leaned the YP on one- leg it!
Ah, the old service road ploy. Not to be trusted!
Valencia have out-agged the Headhunters!
Valencia does have a network of cycle lanes but like Barca, they go close to civilians and also don't run all over where you need them to. It was stop-start, look-out, dear me, but it got done. Eventually.
No idea but it looked great.
100% recommended emergency boost.
As ever, if you're in a motor then it's easy to get on track: with bikes there's twists and turns before you can get a groove going. Anyway, I hope to revisit Valencia and see it slow-time, some time...
By the way, I tried a white chocolate Magnum this aft: my word, they're the business.
Oh Google- don't let me down now!
Tired and all that, I took the decision to try for Xativa as the wind direction would help...although my knee was tired and a bit miffed, it didn't seem any worse, so I hope that we're all back onside tomorrow. No guarantees, that's understood.
The view from tonight's acco. When I arrive I get Acorn Antiques on reception, hah-hah!
As usual, it's a race to get things done and then get out for food. Turns out Xativa are celebrating Oktoberfest. No, I'm not making this up. So I'll just head on back to my hotel shall I? Oh good, hah-hah!
Enjoy it you rascals!
Wot we dun today!
You're probably sick of me telling you how great and generous you are, but it's true.
My hotel was just too nice to leave at an early (read: sensible) hour...this wasn't helped by having to wait ages for a lift. Way too many Gallic OAPs going to/fro demolishing breakfast!
Thinking about it, some of them were only about 10 years older than me...
Could have stayed here all day!
So today's strife was at least half of my own making, setting-off at 8.30am! As ever, there would be the standard Google Maps faff, ahem...
The panniers did just fit: maybe Google is smarter than we know?
It soon became apparent that my hoped-for tailwind had not arrived- instead I got to know his unhelpful cousin.
You don't need a weatherman etc...
I can't go much slower and remain upright, hah-hah!
So that was the pattern for the rest of the day: take your medicine!
What- no horse riding permitted on motorways...since when?
I spent a few of those kms on the N-340 today. Perfunctory. So there.
They all count.
So the afternoon was about taking regular stops, both to rest the knee and to keep on top of rehydration and food. Oh yeah, and get a bit of shade too...
Double-use from drink refills. Coke & water = muy bien!
The Springfield tyre compound still smouldering away.
Today's route wound inland a tad so it was a thrill to see El Medo again.
They're mad for bonsai around these parts.
I was glad to see the 100 mile-mark appear as it had been a slog. I started to see what accommodation options were around, not least because it had gone 6pm and did not fancy another 13 miles to Torreblanca, so decided to give this place in the middle of nowhere a whirl...the price was right at 15€!
The view from tonight's acco. Basic.
Get this- they're glued to a 'Poirot' re-run. With subtitles! Apparently Dave Suchet has God-like status in this neck of the woods...
This was about 8pm: there's about 25 in now. Loud as!
I've cancelled all my remaining acco bookings, except the Gibraltar hotel. That one I have changed to stay one day less in order to free-up one more time on the road. Looks like it will be all that and a bag of potato chips!
The donations are a source of amazement- good on you all...you know that these are great causes.
