A good dog in Spain

There were some good dogs in Spain.  This guy was particularly cute.

Spain seems to have animals all over the roads.

I have to add this one of the windmills at the top of a climb, day 3.

The DOG

Just got this picture off the Thomson Bike Tours album.  Joe, Bonnie's husband, the ICU doc, took a picture of the dog that chased us and caused the crash.  I do not like this dog!  (Note - he is on a line but was able to jump the wall and chase us).

I can't run, can't swim due to abrasions and now I can't even bike.  Went out yesterday and did a dismal 16 miles.  Every major muscle in my left leg hurts and the area over my bursa is still the size of a small melon. Boo Hoo.

Spain pictorial

Bilbao.  Aitor and Alex, Craig's customers.  

Day One, getting ready to ride

My favorite climb!  

Fuente De

Pre-fall, feeling good (although I was wearing two shorts for buttache problems)

The day after - notice the ice packed between my two shorts on the left

Old Roman bridge in Cangas de Onis

Le Vega, the start of Angliru

Took my shoes off after a 21% grade and walked a bit in my Nike Frees (packed into my back pockets, just in case)

Road to Angliru, our tiny van can be seen down there somewhere

Lola in Oviedo

View of Angliru from the hills of Oviedo (just above the tree)

One example of pre-Romanesque architecture of Asturias, the Santa Maria de Naranco, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sweet Sidra

The BRUISE; I know, a bit weird to post on my blog!

'It's All About the Bike'

I read a great little book on the way to Spain, It's All About the Bike, by Robert Penn.  A must read for you riders that want or have a custom bike.

Small world

Lola arrived in Oviedo after taking an overnight bus from Madrid.  Now off to explore more of Oviedo.  The food of Asturias is amazing; yesterday we had langoustines, fabada, local lamb, and lots and lots of Sidra.

Done

We left our hotel in Cenera this am and are now in Oviedo.  The Angliru was hard.  We climbed El Cordal for about 6k before hitting the start of Angliru in La Vega, a small town in the mountains.  The climb stiffened after about 6.5k and a van stayed at a relatively flat spot.  I rode up with a young woman from Spain who spoke broken English, but I gathered her boyfriend was already at the top.  At a 21% grade, she hit a rough spot and unclipped so I went on.  My hip hematoma was getting worse with every pedal stroke and one of the C riders passed me; the A´s and a few B´s were already well on their way.  Finding myself alone was sometimes peaceful and othertimes a little scary, cliffs off to one side, amazing views of Oviedo in the distance.  Suffice it to say I did not make it to the top.  2.5 km to go, my excuse is a combo of hip pain, pitting edema of the left arm from the accident and just plain fatigue.  OK, so I just couldn´t do it.  I also was alone and debated trying for the top and riding down with Peter in the van (he was still sick and had driven a van to the top) as the clouds were coming in and the roads were already slippery with cow poop.  Long story short the descent was amazing, yet frightening.  The most amusing story is of the C group guy that made it - as the van was following the Á and B guys down, they passed the C guy going up who only had one km to go!  Truly well done.  The van had to find a spot to turn around and go back up!

The next VIP Thompson trip is in Austria.  Last year I said never again;  this year?  Debatable and only if VA and Mark goes with us. 

Next stop for me is the pool.  I want to see if anyone notices my bruise.  Pics to follow.

Day 7 in the Picos de Europas

133 km, 2300 m climb.  We left the hotel and went west, over to the ocean.  At Alto del Torno we had a great view of the ocean, then descended down and rode along the Atlantic for about 20 km before ascending up to Puerto del Mazuco.  This route took us through eucalyptus groves with epic, panoramic views of the Atlantic, before heading inland.  This is the last day for some of the people but we are staying to ride Angliru, or at least for me, see the start of it.  I will take my running shoes with me tomorrow and try to make it as far as I can before walking the rest.  We are wondering which of the A riders will make it.  We know one guy who has done the Leadville 100 a few times will most likely succeed.  We leave by van to our next hotel to the start early tomorrow. 

My hematoma is now a dark shade of purple and pretty darn large.  There´s bruising into the groin.  Ugly!! I look at it and know how lucky I was.  I´ll have to tell my endocrinologist about my ´do it yourself´ bone density test.  Needless to say, I was very cautious pacing today and descending.  Two more falls in the A group, but they are ok.  I think those guys know how to fall.

Asturias

We are now at a Paradores in Asturias, Catigas de Ortis in the town of Cangus de Onis riding into the Picos de Europas yesterday.  The ride yesterday was amazing with views and scenery that rival the Pyrenees.  We had an amazing descent along the Selle River into this small town.  The trip seems a bit cursed with a lot of people now suffering from some type of GI bug I had Monday and lately some good falls.  Today a dog ran out while we were in a fast pace line and two of us tumbled.  A woman and I ended up at the local hospital, she with a pelvic fracture and broken thumb.  I lucked out with only a large hematoma on the left hip and arm.  Ahead of us another rider clipped a pedal and fell over an embankment, but has only a minor concussion (her husband is a neurologist).  Weird.  Tomorrow I will ride cautiously.  OK, one more tidbit...a guy from Australia fell twice the past two days.  When I got to the hospital, they were casting his arm.  Carnage in Asturias. 

Amazingly enough, Joe, the husband of the rider that has a broken pelvis, took pictures.  He is an ICU doc.  Weird day.

Day 4

Day one, warm up, Day 2, 85miles,10K gain. Craig had major leg cramps. Day 3 about 70 miles, I had good views of guard rails and big rocks courtesy of something I ate.  Came in DFL!  And this after moving back to the C group. Today, I feel like I have a bad hangover but will try to ride. Oh yeah, the weather is just like Portland!  Rain yesterday and the last descent we were so cold we were shaking. A guy passed me and Craig on a turn and took a bad fall, but only screwed up his handlebars. Now this is what I call fun! The countryside is beautiful and parts look like thePyrenees.

Spain Day -1 Bilbao

We arrived in Bilbao Thursday which gives us one day to rest up and see the sites before the start of Day 1, pick-up at the airport by Thomson Tours and the start of the Cantabria Challenge. 

Today we went to the Guggenheim Museum, then to lunch with a customer of Craig´s (who left tickets for the Guggenheim at our hotel this am - typical Spaniard hospitality!).  We are staying at the Hotel Carlton, c. 1921.  Today there is a revolution according to a local.  Paris Hilton checks in.  Can´t wait. 

I read a very good bike book on the plane, It´s All About the Bike, by Robert Penn, a diary of putting together a custom bike.  VA, I will loan you my copy.  You should have written it when you were getting your IF! He even gets a headset from Chris King and Vanilla Bicycles gets a mention.  DT Swiss rims and Sapim spokes - you have to read the rest to find out what color he chooses.  

Mark told me not to whine.  OK, so can I buttache?  From the above mentioned book: 

Buttache - v.i. (slang) to complain, whining about saddle sore from riding a bicycle.