Earlier this month we set off on a 1500 mile journey to the Costa Blanca region in sunny Spain. Early start was called for with stops on the way to pick up riders bikes and kit. We drove south will expectations of the weather getting increasingly warmer but our hopes were soon dashed as this was the opposite for most of the way. My request for Pete to bring a copy of The Flight of the Concords musical rendition was indeed a well needed spirit strengthener and made for great banter on route.
After we crossed the channel by use of the Chunnel we headed for Paris with confidence ( not something I usually find myself saying). The height restrictions the Sat - Nav led us into gave us a wake up call as they smashed into the van roof but no damage apart from loss of radio arial. This gave us the only option to dive into Paris head on and immenently immersing us into a sea of traffic and one way streets. We eventually found our way out the madness and the journey continued.
After several fuel stops, Toll passes and a couple of overnight stays in central France we made it through to Benidorm home of winter training cyclists and the senior section of Great Britains population. The Hotel was great with really helpfull staff and a buffet to feed the thousand. Lots of great Spanish dishes to be had like Chips, Sausage, Eggs and Bacon, all the classics.
With a day to get acclimatised to the surroundings we set up camp at the side of the Hotel. Waiting for the Team to arrive and get fitted onto their new bikes for the year. This included Time- Trial bikes too so lots to do.
After a couple of days of tweeks to riders bikes we took turns in following the Team on their training rides which took them into the local hills in the area Col De Rates and Puerto Tudons.
The Team settled into training well and all the new riders gelled into their roles with the help of the more experienced riders James McCallum and Dean Downing. It is amazing how strong these guys are and only do you realise this when you look at the cars speedometer. With the strong leadership of John Herety I am sure these guys will be reaping the rewards in 2012.
With the absense of the usual high street coffee shops we had a hard job finding a decent cup but when we did we made the most of it. With rural Cafe's with majestical views it made the late nights keeping the bikes tip top all that more motivating. Satisfaction guaranteed!
After 2 weeks of sun we decided enough was enough and made our way back to the UK. The road trip is an amazing one with lots of vast countryside and awe inspiring architecture.The Millau Bridge and the roads leading to and from are the best I have experienced yet and will be glad to drive again and again.
With an overnight stop in Le Caylar and then through to Calais we made it back to the UK in 2 days. The roads are a sharp contrast from France to the UK and driving north through the country took a fair bit of time as you may expect. If you can make it to sample the driving over in France and Spain you will find it hard to return. Something I am thinking about for the future.
.jpg)
