Welcome to Asturias, cycling paradise

 First day in Asturias and this mountain goat wannabe aims for a route with some climbing, riding non-stop and steady all day.

First climb of the day was La Grandota and very quickly I realised what it means being in Asturias. No one around me. 

Well, no one except a couple walking up the climb in the middle of the road. No lights, no high vis gilets, even worse, no helmets. As if they owned the road. They were lucky I’m a skilled rider and, more relevant, I was climbing at 10km/h. Shall Dai, Dennis, Ed and Rupert be here riding here with me we would have been climbing at full speed and someone could have been seriously damaged.

Second climb of the day was El Padrún. I like this climb. Hairpins, nice gradient and great views. It is also true the road had a pothole. Fairly big one. I was lucky because I’m a skilled rider and, more relevant, I was climbing, again, at 10km/h. Shall Dai, Dennis, Ed and Rupert be here riding here with me we would have been climbing at full speed and someone could have been seriously damaged.

Third climb of the day was La Colladiella. In my book a great first touch with the long and high climbs.  At some point my Garmin said something about my PR in this climb. A feature I never had seen. I didn’t bite and kept climbing at my own steady pace. At the top of the climb the Garmin said I got a PR on the climb. That can’t be I thought but now Strava seems to agree. A PR up to La Colladiella without even trying. Shall Dai, Dennis, Ed and Rupert be here riding here with me we would have been climbing at full speed I certainly would have bettered this PR, still I would be last at the top.

The fourth climb of the day was meant to be La Faya los Llobos but I did a full Javier and got lost. On my home turf. Embarrassing? Maybe, but I managed to find my way and I found myself climbing a climb that I’d dare to say it was the first time I was climbing it and I was hoping it would take me to Nava. As I was starting the climb a car passed me. Shocking!!! No car had passed me when I was climbing any of the previous three climbs. I know because I was paying attention to count them. Not that I was very busy with that task though. I was lucky because I’m a skilled rider and, more relevant, I was climbing, again, at 10km/h. Shall Dai, Dennis, Ed and Rupert be here riding here with me we would have been climbing at full speed and someone could have been seriously damaged.

With all he climbing out of the way all it was left was the flat/downhill run to home. I did huge turns in the front but always taking it steady. I knew the final sprint was coming and didn’t want to burn all my matches. The sprint to the top of the Col du Balbona is similar to the Esher sprint. Slightly longer but you approach the final ramp descending and the gradient increases ever so slightly as you climb. A sprint line that is always farther away than it looks. I finished the descent and started to gradually increase the power I was putting on the pedals to finish in an all out sprint. 

Fantastic win. 

I was lucky though, shall Dai, Dennis, Ed and Rupert be here riding here with me we would have all sprinted for the line and Richard L. would have taken it.

Yes, Asturias is a cycling paradise. Still you will find walkers in the middle of the road when you are climbing, there is a pothole going up El Padrún, you’ll have to deal with the stress of a car passing you and some truths of cycling are still true here. Far from perfect.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/5562480969/

Take care

Javier Arias González