One plan 🗺, different execution 😄

#WinterWonderland ☃️❄️☃️ in progress

Magnolia Newbies 👶👶 run

Missing the sunrise 🌄

Don't look at the rain radar 🌧📡 before you go...

Day 1: A coffee ☕️ stop at km 24 🤭
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After a big party in Vitoria which I did not join, it was difficult to find coffee ☕️ before the start of the race. So at km 24 in the first bar we pass we had one. That was an easy 😅 start.

First 25 kms were easy but as we move forward we realized that some sections were not that comfortable. Single trails and more broken gravel appear. 

We met Ivan around km 70 and exchanged a few words. We looked fresh and full of energy 😎. That was a good sign 😁.

The day was cloudy for the first 6h which we appreciated. Later on around lunch time (Spanish time) the sun 🌤 started to shine and felt warmer 🌡.

We found a place with a "Ciclistas 🚲 menu"... and we were hungry so we went for it and the simple pasta 🍝 felt delicious.

We made it ot Ostiz at a decent hour and we needed to do 4 kms off-route towards Olave for a road hostal next to a petrol station ⛽️.

Perfect set up with trucker restaurant, a shower and a bed to sleep. Breakfast time started at 6am 🥳.

#🌳Urbasa
#➡️ 165 kms
#⬆️ 3070 m
#⏱️12.5h
#Route: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Alegria ☕️ - Iturrieta - Lizarraga - Goñi - Aristegui - Ostiz -  Olave 🏨

#👋met Ivan


Day 2: Heading to Pyrenees: Memories of Transbalkan 🪨🪨🪨
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The experience from the previous day is that the elevation on paper was less than reality 😅. So the uncertainity if we would make it to the planned point was bigger 🫣.

We decided to start as early as possible but still have breakfast 🥐☕️ at the Hostal. The planned day looked long and indeed was longer than planned.

We were on the road around 6:45 and the start was not promissing. Despite feeling good we needed 9h to do the first 88 kms... 🐌. In general slow terrain and a couple of hike the bike and quite a lot of climb... Irati National Park at the feet of Pyrenees was a challenge. However the landscape was awesome with horses 🐎🐎 around.

Today was hotter and sun ☀️ was out all the time. However we did not struggle to get water 🚰 when we needed which was a great help.

After the last hike a bike around the Dam it got a bit easier but still we had another 500m uphill on gravel 🥵. Now we were quite high and we had still about 45 kms to go with some meters to loose.

The first part of the downhill was rough gravel 🪨 but later turn smoother and later to asphalt. Then at the end we had quite a bit of asphalt flat, with slight ups and down ↗️↘️. We were happy about this faster terrain...

We had great views... left the fullmoon 🌕 and right the sunset 🌄 and a very quite road. Only another rider who had to detour to Pamplona to replace broken wheels disturbed the peace. We talked a bit and later he kept going since he felt very fresh after waiting for the fix.

About 10 kms to go we passed by Lumbier. It was 10:30pm so we looked for something to eat at the Bar of the camping ⛺️ of the town. First chance was failed with the waiter but latwr came a women and said... "Don't leave those guys going to sleep hungry". That was great 🥲🙏🫶.

We got a delicious sandwich 🥪 and some soft drinks. We ate and went for those last 10kms. We had some easy gravel on a old train line that was next to ariver passing by very nice tunnels 🚇.

Finally shortly before night we hit 🎯 Sangüesa were luckily a "self-check-in" hostal awaited us.

What a day... The planned elevation for the day was 3000m ⬆️ and we finished with substantially more and top of that very slow kms... This day alone scratched 20+ people...


#🌳Irati
#➡️ 167 kms
#⬆️ 3650 m
#⏱️17h
#Route: Olave - Ostiz - Erro - Burgette - Irabia Dam - Tapla pass - San Vicente - Sangüesa 🏨


Day 3: Desert day 🐫
--------
This day was shorter but had the desert 🌵... We checked temperatures and it seemed we would have 30-32°C in that section. Not the worst day... but definitively hot 🔥🌡. The day after was planned 5-6°C more...

We started again early despite being shorter day... We could see still the fullmoon. We wanted to make it to the desert 🌵 the earliest... and the approach was 60 kms.

In addition the day started with 2 climbs ⬆️⬆️, the second one leading to Ujue were fortunatelly aftwr a couple of towns that did not have anything... here we had...
I asked to the woman and she replied "here, we have everything". My eyes were... 🥹

We asked for coffee ☕️, sandwich 🥪 to eat and sandwich 🥪 to take away. 

Somehow I thought there were 10k to the town at the start of the desert and the town was on the top of a mountain... I did not refil water 🚰 and after a while when I had the impression we did more kms... I started to wonder...

We had about 15... and I asked to another rider we found and he said me... there are another 15... I was thursty already 😂. What a mistake.

Anyway we made it to Mélida and after my beginner's mistake..., this time I refil 🚰, bought an extra bottle of 1.5L and drank 2 soft drinks 🧃🧃.... Now, I was ready for the 55 kms without nothing... It was noon 🕛... so quite hot hours but it's what we had.

The desert was awesome. Another landscape... very interesting and towards the end the trails and navigating 🧭 the "desert crevasses" was an experience. We felt hot sometimes but enjoying the landscape made it easier.

We arrived to the parking lot in the other side just next to a very beautiful formation. From there we did not know how long was until the first town... But yes... that bit of 10k... knowing we were closer felt long 🥵.

Finally we arrived to Arguedas were we had 2 stops. One for ice cream 🍦 and drinks 🧃. And then we discovered another restauraurant with Basajaun menu (Pasta 🍝 + drink 🧃).

From Arguedas it was about 25 kms with some little ups ↗️ and downs ↘️ to Alfaro. We made it quite early and we bought some sandwiches 🥪🥪 for the next day.

It was difficult to find a place further and this will make us to have a challenging day on papers. Nexr day with ita 3400m ⬆️ could be very challenging.... 

#🌵Bardenas Reales
#➡️ 134 kms
#⬆️  1700 m
#⏱️12h
#Route: Sangüesa - Gallipienzo - Ujue 🥪🥪☕️ - Mélida - Bardenas Reales - Castil de Terras - Arguedas 🍦🍝🧃 - Alfaro


Day 4: The challenge day
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We set an early alarm ⏰️ and try to start early and hope doe better terrain than day 2... with more tired legs and more climbing... couls mean that a Plan B needed to be used. We had the fullmoon 🌕 and the sunrise 🌄  in our first kms towards Corella.

Today we felt more tired but terrain was easier so we found ouraelves moving slightly faster than day 2. Quite a few passes... road and good gravel was on the way...

Riding berween windmills 🌬 and on a Natural park with Dinosaurs 🦖🦕 foot prints 👣 were the highlights.

La Rioja 🍷 surprised me... Very hilly... and very beautiful. Endless mountain ranges and endless 😅.

We got around 9:30 in the last 15 kms... but we were afraid about food. We tried in Pradillo and they were serving only sandwiches bit we craved different food... We did 2 kms more and found a great restaurant in Villanueva de Cameros.

Great refueling 🍽😋. We ask for takeaway sandwiches to have for the morning, justbin case... and ready for the last kms... Still some climb ⬆️ and a trail in the dark 🔦 while receiving calls from the hostal asking when we are arriving 😅.

Around 11pm we make it... as expected more meters than planned... however 8 min less than day 2.

#➡️ 156 kms
#⬆️ 3750 m
#⏱️17h
#Route: Alfaro - Corella - El Estepar ⛰️⛰️ - Prejano - Arnedillo - La Atalaya ⛰️⛰️ - Jalón de Cameros - Muro en Cameros - Pradillo - Villanueva de Cameros 🍽 - Villoslada de Cameros 🏨

Day 5: Top of the route 🔝⛰️
--------
Today we had 2600m ⬆️ in mind... but as you see they always grow 😒...
We started earlier since we are tired after 4 days and we don't get faster... rather the opposssite 🐌.

The challenge of today was the highest point of the route 🔝⛰️... but before we will have 2 climbs... About 1000m for breakfast 🥣. Literally... becauase we will not find anything until quite late... and actually will be a women from her balcony listening us looking for breakfast.

Raquel will prepare some toasts and coffee ☕️ and will explain us that is the local festivity and people finish the party about an hour ago (10am 😅).

She prepare for us some Sandwich 🥪. Definitively the highlight 🌟 of the day.

With this we continue and about 15 kms and 500m ⬆️ we found a Monastery⛪️ were we can get extra provisions 🥪🥪 and extra coffee. We have done 1/3 of the massive climb... 2nd half is steep ⬆️⬆️ and later a traverse with hike a bike and another 500m ⬆️... endless 😭. Collado de tres cruces will remain in the memory.

Finally on the top on gravel paradise... Stunning downhill to finish at a ski resort. 5 kms down in asphalt to get up again... a d a tough single trail down ⬇️⬇️. A little up and finally a town 🥳... but no bar open 😪. We are hungry 🤣.

We ask and next town on the way is about 13 kms away with a climb in between... of course. We make it and yes here we find a bar...

We ask for food and they say between 4-8pm they do only pizzas and because the racers... Our answer is... "no problem". We will eat anything 😅.

We do a short stop since we have 25 kms to go and ia 7pm... 
We want to arrive with chances for a dinner. Luckily last kms are very rollable and our "unique" challenge is headwind 😒.

We make it a bit before 9 💥. We go for big refueling before 😴.


#➡️ 126 kms
#⬆️ 2810 m
#⏱️14h
#🥣breakfast with Raquel
#Route: Villoslada de Cameros - Ortigosa de Cameros - Brieva de Cameros 👩🥣☕️ - Monasterio de Valvanera ⛪️ - Collado de tres cruces 🔝⛰️ - Pazuengos - Cirueña 🍕 - 

Day 6: Our way to the 🏁
--------
We met shortly last night another rider who said us that tomorrow is technical 🤨. We hoped for easy ending 🤪.

So we plan to wake up again fearly early to solve any issue that can arise... Our bikes and our bodies are not in the best shape anymore.

We enjoy one last sunrise and get over steep short climbs ⬆️⬆️⬆️... loose rocks 🪨🪨 and a very chili morning 🥶.

Another day that is challenging. Luckily we asked for sandwiches last night and we have some buffer...

Finally beyond half way we find a restaurant were we ask for coffee ☕️ and sandwich 🥪.

About 400m up ⬆️ left... 

One more rocky single trail along a river with a soft gradient... but long.

Finally the end of the chrono ⏱️ section is at the top of the hill ⛰️🏁. However we have 13 kms more to make it to the finish line 🏁 and get a rewarding beer 🍻.


#➡️ 85 kms
#⬆️ 1780 m
#⏱️8h
#Route: San Vicente Sonsierra - 


Summary
‐--------------
The plan 🗺 was to cover it with the official time ⏱️ allowed and we thought roughly how it could be split. But the question was...
❓️ if we would be able to follow the plan...

🏞⛰️🏘The race covers a very wide range of landscape through the several Natural park that it crosses. I really liked the variety of towns and never felt again the same style... Chapeau, 🎩 off for the great route design.

It has little "official" hike the bike 🚶‍♂️ sections however quite a few kms on MTB trails and some steep gradients 📶, so I could think a light hard tail can make the ride more enjoyable. There are not a lot of long sections of asphalt... so no big penalty. Gravel is doable but prepare your bones for shacking 📳.

💭 We had time but I had some memories of Transbalkan... I'll call it the little brother of Transbalkan. Scale of remote is less but terrain is hard in your bones... however very little not rideable.

Finding water 🚰 is fearly easy. Food 🥪☕️ had some challenge with some closed places but nothing dramatic... just bring always something extra. 

⭐️Is great to see how some towns learnt about the race and prepare themselves with cooking food and following the riders in dotwatcher. Great opportunity to increase the great experience and bring something to the locals.

🙏 Thanks to Yves Wyckmans for the proposal and great selection of adventure. It has been a pleasure to overcome the challenges.

#👥in pairs with Yves
#🏅13th pair
#⏱️126hrs 24mins

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One plan 🗺, different execution 😄

#WinterWonderland ☃️❄️☃️ in progress

Magnolia Newbies 👶👶 run

Missing the sunrise 🌄

Don't look at the rain radar 🌧📡 before you go...

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