Day 10 - Pedraza to El Tiemblo

This is the day everyone was dreading, not only was it the day with the most climbing it was the height of the climbs that were worrying.

I was ready for it, bring it on I was saying 🚵💪

I slept with Grace in the room as I planned to get away as early as I could. Up at 06.30h and on the road by 07.30h.

It was very chilly so I was all wrapped up and happy that the climbing started immediately.

My plan was to get to Lazoya at 32km for my coffee & toast.

I knew that the first big climb of the day would take a while and be a new personal best for me so I was delighted when I seen the marker at the top of the mountain.

I was a bit surprised to see a herd of cows mind you 🐄🐄🐄

I could feel how cold it was but as it was a 20km climb and I was working so hard that it didn´t bother me. The descent however was another kettle of fish entirely. I was well wrapped up but my warm gloves didn´t keep my fingers warm.

I had to stop twice on the 12km descent to try and get some feeling back into my fingers but it was no use ❄️

In the end I just held on for dear life and prayed that there was a café open in Lazoya.

Thankfully the café was open and as I asked for an americano through my chattering teeth the barista had to help me remove my gloves 🧤 Honestly, it was the coldest I can ever remember being. It was a while before I could lift the coffee to drink it.

Eventually my fingers came back to life and as I was messaging Joe to tell him I had arrived before the van I saw him arrive on the motorbike. He joined me for coffee and we had a nice chat reminiscing about the Road to Lisbon 😊

Feeling better I set off to tackle an even bigger climb 🚵

It wasn´t so cold by the time I got to the start of the climb so I unzipped the jacket and started the long grind upwards.

On average it was about 6% this one but it was longer than the first one and higher.

After 33km of hard graft I made it to the top, I just shook my head and thought how crazy I must be when it dawned on me that I was cycling through a ski resort ⛷️😮

Welcome to Puerto de Navacerrada, the highest point I´ve ever been on a bike.

Not Grace in the photo because I was too busy wondering what on earth I was doing cycling through ski resorts to notice the sign 🤪

What I hadn´t realised was that the mountains were sheltering me from very strong winds 💨💨 I wrapped up again and took the descent very carefully as I was battered by the wind. Sometimes it was so strong into my face that I felt like I wasn´t moving. Getting hit from the side however is worse, I find it quite scary as I take a hairpin bend and then nearly get blown over as I come out the other side of it.

Anyway I got down in one piece and found the lunch van in a car park in the middle of the town of Guadarrama.

Still a lot of climbing left to do, one more substantial climb up to 1275m but after that more up and down for the remainder. There was still 60km left to ride and i was already very tired.

As I left Guadarrama I cycled past the entrance to Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen). I could see the enormous cross on top of the hill about 4 or 5 km away. They say around 40,000 are buried there from both sides that fought in the Spanish civil war. The Holy Cross itself is made of granite and at 150m high is the largest in the world.

Photo courtesy of feelmadrid.com

Not long after that another spectacular site - Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

The Escorial is a vast building complex located in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, near Madrid, in central Spain. The building is the most important architectural monument of the Spanish Renaissance. It was built in the 16th century during the reign of King Philip II. At this point we were only around 46km from Madrid and I could see the 4 skyscrapers in the distance.

Sightseeing over and back to the business of getting over all these hills 🚵

The strong headwind was really annoying me now, I was knackered. Every little climb I met must be the last one I thought.

I had left early and minimised time at the stops so I was going well. Three of the fast riders had passed me with about 20km to go so I would be one of the first back to the hotel 😊

That was until my Garmin decided to route me contrary to the road signs 🤷‍♂️

I could see El Tiemblo in the valley down below and I was 5km away from the hotel according to my route. At a crossroads I ignored the sign saying turn left for El Tiemblo 8km and trusted the Garmin.

Big mistake, huge! 😒

I ended up all over the place, I had to walk back up a steep hill to avoid a mountain bike track, I had to get on a slip to the N403 main road going in the wrong direction and find a stretch where it was safe to dart over to the other side 🤷‍♂️

It took me over an hour when it should have been 10 mins. The support crew and the guys that had passed me were convinced I had stopped for an early dinner 🙄

Distance covered 147.4 Km

Climbing 2600 M

Moving time 08h 55m 00s

Summary:

Incredibly tough days cycling, 2 enormous climbs, cold, strong wind, getting lost ....... I´m shattered but I done it.

Great feeling of achievement. Very happy tomorrow is an easy one 😴

Difficulty rating 10/10

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