First things first, I retuned to Free Motion to swap my Cannondale for a 2017 Specialized Roubaix with an 11-32 cassette on for the steeper hills. Shame as I absolutely loved the Cannondale and would loved to have kept it.
Back at the hotel, the others were waiting to set off so off we went. the plan was a reverse of yesterday’s route, so we could do the Serenity climb in all it’s glory.
Initially I did not like the Roubaix as the geometry felt all wrong after the aggressive Cannondale but it grew on me and at the end of the ride I absolutely loved it and especially the very comfortable ride the suspension gave me.
We stopped for a Snickers ice cream in Puerto de Mogan and then headed inland and upwards. In Mogan we again stopped at the excellent Bar Bodega for pizza and carbs for the hills ahead.
Suitably fortified we headed off for the big climb up the mountain ahead.
The pictures here won’t do it justice as it was just amazing. You have to go there and do it for yourself to see. It has everything. A gentle start, then steepening into an Alpine landscape with fir trees everywhere, then out into the open and hairpin bends as the road snakes it’s way up the side of the mountain.
Towards the top I could heat this strange cacophony of bells and wondered what the heck it was. As I got closer I saw lots of sheep heading down the mountain to the road and assumed the bells were the farmer’s way of calling the sheep. Oh no, each sheep had a bell round their collar and they all had slightly different tones, making an absolutely fabulous sound all together.
On the way back down to the coast we stopped off for a quick beer at this roadside cafe. One of the nicest beers of the holiday as it was served in ice cold glasses and after the climbing earlier was very much welcome.
Back at the hotel we all did the usual… you know what by now ;).
Route: click here
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