— Go to Part 2 —
After the sports emotions of the first day and the bitter cold during the second tour, it’s time for other feelings and experiences that I had during the Rapha Festive 500 in 2020 🙂
The Day Three
I would describe December 27th as active recovery. I went on a route that was just over 40 km long, half of which was downhill. It didn’t mean boredom, however. I discovered a new road that day. A new one for me, because although I passed it many times, I had never chosen it before.
It starts with a bang: +10%! Then a moment of slack, and you see the wall again. Garmin showed me that the maximum slope was +15.5%, but I find it hard to believe. The road was so steep that… I turned back and decided to cross it another day in the opposite direction. The place around which I found the route too steep that day is called Mas Castells.
I returned home without excesses, almost the shortest way, just making some loops at the end to get 42 km 🙂
The Day Four – blow wind, blow!
On Monday, December 28th, it was windy since morning. Earlier forecasts indicated gusts up to 140 km/h in some parts of the country. The more local forecast was 54 km/h (in gusts). That’s a lot. But I decided to leave the house and face such conditions. Obviously, I didn’t even think of breaking any records or setting myself ambitious goals. This time it was just a matter of doing something. As much as possible. After all, strong gusts are not only an effort but also a threat when driving in open traffic. Your imagination will tell you what could happen. That is why that day, the slogan safety first sounded in my head even louder than usual.
I went on the well-known loop for the fourth time. I didn’t know what it would be like. The start was tough. Fortunately, when I turned into the Carme Valley (the one I raced with MTB guys), I was relatively sheltered from the wind. It was still strong and was slowing me down heavily, but it was by no means dangerous yet.
The situation changed when I headed northwest on the road crossing the ridges of the mountains. Here, I often had to pass open sections of the road, even exposed to gusts. And here, struggling with the wind was my most significant effort. I practically did not change gears, staying 80% of the time on the easiest one. I feel that I have done more work with my hands to keep the balance than with my legs to continue climbing. The wind almost blew me off the tarmac several times. Luckily, the road seemed to be apocalyptically empty. For 9 km, literally, just several cars and motorbikes passed me by—no other cyclist. I wonder why…
In a beautiful meadow
I was relieved to reach Bellprat (Beautiful Meadow), located on a plateau, where the road was leading partly downwind. I was able to take a breath here. At the end of the entire 30-kilometer-long climb, I made a stop under cover of the forest, enjoying the sun and relative silence. Here, the rays of December’s sun managed to warm the thermometer to +10 degrees. In contrast, I experienced +3 earlier in the moaning wind.
But I couldn’t stay in this silent place forever. It was time to move on. The steep descent, although with the wind, did not allow me to accelerate too much. As soon as I hit 30 km/h, the bike got wings. Unfortunately, I don’t mean it was accelerating to the high speed effortlessly, so I was able to enjoy the ride. Oh no! When the wheels were spinning fast enough, the bike was losing its steerability, and I had the feeling that in a moment, I would be pushed in the wrong direction. Braking allowed me to regain control. As a result, it was my slowest descent from this mountain pass of all four attempts.
The lesson of aerodynamics
Since it wouldn’t look like I can break any record and the sun was shining brightly, I decided to stop where I had been rushing down last days and take some photos. My attention has been drawn to a decaying chapel, and on the right, a small flood protection reservoir with a water of the beautiful turquoise color.
With the chapel, it was a piece of cake. So I returned to the road and, after a while, turned onto the dam. I experienced the shock after a few moments. Every meter I moved away from the edge of the valley towards its center, I experienced an increase in wind strength. I could cover maybe 50 meters before getting off the bike to avoid being blown off the dam’s crown. Even that way, it wasn’t easy to continue.
After another several dozen meters, I abandoned the bike in low thickets. I had to put it down so that it wouldn’t fly away. Then, bent to the ground, I reached the middle of the dam. To set the camera up, I literally crawled on the stones with which the structure is strengthened. It was comic and fascinating at the same time. I could almost imagine how the terrain, like lenses, deflects the air current off the valley’s slopes and focuses it along the river’s axis. The difference in the strength of the wind was enormous!
On all fours, I withdrew from the photo spot and returned to the bike. I checked whether it was floating in the air when held with one hand. Believe it or not – it was! I expressed my emotions using well-known English phrases. Struggling with the difficulties, with my bike aside, I walked back towards the road.
Bonus loop
This time I gave up the climb to the Serra de Rubió. Having passed Igalada, I did not go home but decided to return to the place of yesterday’s defeat with the gradient – to Mas Castells.
In this part of the route, the mountains shielded me from the wind, and the sun was warm. Ten grades above zero were spoiling me all the time 🙂 I slowly climbed up to and then through the Castell de Cabrera. From there, I took the narrow, winding road towards Canaletes.
This place amazed me! However, since it was not my goal this day, I just marked it in my mind with a ‘come back soon’ sign, and I went on to the estate Can Formiga. The map did not reflect such fine details of the terrain that I would know what to expect. I was conscious of getting close to the village. I knew I was close to the point from which I retreated the day before, but I did not expect that… The street is called Avinguda Catalunya, and it sums up the specificity of the region perfectly well. More precisely – it has a +20% slope. I climbed up the street only thanks to a strong wind, which power I could feel on my back as if someone was holding me.
Finally, descent from the top! How many % do you think it was? I will not build the tension too much. It was -22%. I don’t know if I will ever be able to ride this road in the opposite direction, but maybe… maybe I’ll try it when I feel an exceptional surge of power.
And then? Going home.
The Day Five, with bookmarks for later
On the fifth day of the challenge – you won’t guess! – I started with the well-known loop. The trauma of three MTB riders was over, and I was riding fully relaxed. The wind was blowing, though without any madness that day. I didn’t have a strict plan either; I just wanted to go. At the junction with the C-37 road, I deviated from the ‘standard’ route and rushed down to Igualada. Earlier, I left it for a moment because I was intrigued whether it is possible to get to the castle Castell de Miralles. I found the beginning of the gravel road promising. Still, as it started to get steep, I turned back, considering it to be something for a completely separate trip, under different circumstances.
From Igualada, I went to Canaletes to eat an energy bar and an apple. There, on one of the information boards, I found the note about the nearby waterfalls. For the second time that day, I memorized the idea for a separate trip – this time on foot.
From Canaletes, without surpreses, I returned home.
The Day Six, with no pressure
On the penultimate day of the year, I planned to make about 50 km, and I had a lot of time so that at any stage of the route, I would not have to think about what time it was and how much is left. To get as many kilometers as I wanted, I checked it earlier with the map. I started as if I was going to the well-known loop for the fifth time, but after 15 km, I turned back to the “bonus loop” from the previous day. For that day, I wanted to return to Canaletes and enjoy the feeling of peace that this place evokes in me, although I do not fully understand why it is so.
As I decided, I did so, and after reaching the place, I just stared for a long time trying to capture the landscape elements that affect me in this way. What I finally captured was not what I saw with my own eyes. Apparently, there is something that appeals to me but is not amenable to framing. At least not with my current level of photography skill.
Finally sighed, I went on. This time not through huge gradients, but a slightly shorter, less vicious path (+/- 12%). During the last kilometers, I said goodbye to this edition of the Festive 500 and this cycling season. I knew that I still had a small dessert for New Year’s Eve, but the risk of not fulfilling the challenge’s conditions was practically non-existent. What was left, I could even walk on foot with a bicycle aside.
The last day
On New Year’s Eve, I completed my work by riding the last 5 km. It was a year with difficulties. I finished it with similar results to the previous one, although it was completely different on the way.
There were two trips with Szerszenie; there were several lonely routes in Lower Silesia, Poland. The Tatra Couriers Race did not happen this year… and there was the Catalan end of the year. For a total of 101 active days, I drove the distance from Moscow to Mumbai. I climbed 50 thousand meters up, spending 250 hours in the saddle. What will this new year 2021 bring? Who of us can say that?
Thank you and have a great year!