This was a good day on the bike, maybe a top 10 day. Woke up, took the dogs out for their morning constitutional, then came back in and had some breakfast. Mark came in not too long after, and we got ready for our big ride. Stocked up on snacks and water, and we headed out a little after 9:00. Went south on the road by their place, over thr gravel bit, and then connecting to the main south road. We had ridden this direction on Monday afternoon, but this time we didn't turn off the road, following it instead to La Ganga, and signature climb in this area. We had gone up the other side of this climb on Tuesday. The Strava segment of this side was a longer, starting with a low gradient and finishing higher. I pushed pretty hard on this climb and got to the top 1-2 minutes ahead of Mark. Then we rode the downhill and into Calonge, which was thrilling, not too steep but with some sharp turns. During the ride, we saw what we think we're several pro riders: a couple from DSM Firmenich, two Ag2R riders along the coast - one in the old kit and one in the new - and on the last climb up La Ganga a female Lidl Trek rider coming down. So that was pretty cool. Next up was the climb up to Romanya de la Selva from Calonge, 2.6 miles averaging 5.7% grade. I averaged 220 W going up, and my time put me in the top 27% of men aged 55-64. A little descent then another climb up to the actual village. Then it was another thrilling descent, 5 miles, into Santa Cristina d'Aro, some flats, then a little climb into Sant Feliu de Guixols, near Costa Brava. After going through this village, we had another climb on the C-65 coast road, 0.8 miles at 4.5%. From there, we headed generally west on a really beautiful road, great views and nice little climbs and descents. We stopped a couple of times for pictures and turned around at a good spot, heading back the way we came until we got to Coast Brava. We had a quick stop for a picture on the beach there, then continued along the coast but not as picturesque as we rode through the coastal towns. Heading through Castell-Platja d'Aro and up to Sant Antoni de Calonge,where we turned inland. Around here, we got onto the same roads we had taken to get back from our Tuesday ride.
The ride along the coast road was everything it was touted to be: beautiful views and exciting small climbs and descents. It would have been nice to go a little further, but Mark turned us around at the right time. Eventually, we got onto the same road we had come down, leading to the La Ganga climb from the other direction, which we had done the previous day. I knew it was the last big effort opportunity, so I put a lot into this climb, having to deal with tired legs and some sweat in my eyes. I got to the top and didn't have a lot left, which was the plan, so, mission accomplished. I was 20 seconds faster on the climb than on the previous day, and my time put me in the top 25% of riders 55-64. There are some famous names on the leaderboards for these climbs we did, including David de la Cruz, Stevie Williams, Ben O'Connor, Steven Kruijswijk, and Levi Leipheimer. I went down the other side a little bit and then rode up to capture video of the writing on the road. The video turned out pretty shaky, not so useful. Then I waited for Mark to show up. He was feeling the effects of the ride more than me, so he was slow on this last climb. My descent was faster than the previous day by almost a minute. Mark led for most of it, I got out in front near the bottom and led for a bit. Then we retraced our route back to their place.
Avg speed = 14.7 mph. Total mileage = 49.8 mi
Avg power = 142 W. Weighted avg power = 172 W
Total elevation gain =4110'
Avg heart rate = 116 bpm
After we got back, I had a delicious Coke. My legs were feeling the effects of 100 miles in three days, coupled with >4000' of climbing on this day. Took a shower and got ready for a lunch that the homeowner Lillian prepared. Ann and Karmi went for a walk down by the sea and visited a winery that was so-so. Lillian had invited some neighbors, Clifford and Heather, over as well. He is a managing director for some concern in Qatar, and he is beginning to transition to retirement. They bought a house in St Helena, and it's a fixer-upper. They met at the University of Alabama, seem like a very nice couple. Lillian's husband Frederick doesn't speak much English, but during lunch he took pains to speak Spanish clearly and slowly. I sat across from Lillian, who is originally from Belgium and ran a chocolate shop in her hometown, halfway between Antwerp and Ghent. She is a real dynamo, has a fantastic garden, raises chickens, and along with Frederick plays pitch-and-putt regularly. There weren't any vegetarian main dishes, but the soup and stew that were served looked delicious. The desserts were fantastic. I ate a lot of appetizers and bread, along with a taste of all the desserts. In the evening, Ann ended up going to bed early, she had had a lot of wine throughout the day. I stayed up talking to Mark and Karmi about international living. Karmi is fixated on this house that is for sale nearby. It is quite grand but has some adjacent properties with issues, so the location is not ideal. It will be interesting to see if they pull the trigger and but it. That house could turn into a 2-year project. We also talked about yacht vacations, not sure if it's the right choice for us. They mentioned the 180-day stay limit in the Shengen countries, so we need to do some more research there as we look at our retirement options. I slept pretty well, legs weren't too sore.
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