Friday, 2 September 2011: Astorga
Up early and off to Astorga. It is a long drive and as we are passing through country we have already been through we decide to watch the finish of the Vuelta in Ponferrada. We arrive in Ponferrada about a couple of hours before the cyclists and have a lazy wander through the new part of town as we have already been through the old part of the town several days ago. There doesn’t appear much happening we have parked fairly close to the finish line which has a large big screen TV. We stand at about the 25 metre line and watch the crowds grow slowly at first before the usual Spanish thing happens and everybody arrives about 5 minutes before the finish.
The good thing about the Vuelta is that you are able to get up and close to the finish line and even see the presentations without having to be a VIP or press. We watch the presentations and jump straight in Vinnie and head off to Astorga where we spend the night at the Aires de camping with a couple of other motorhomes.
Saturday, 3 September 2011: Angliru
Up at the crack of dawn and into town to take some photos of Gaudi’s Bishops Palace. Unfortunately this is where the Vuelta is starting so can’t get anywhere near the actual Palace, and can only take a couple of random photos from behind the building.
Damn should have taken them the other day. Today we are heading to the Feeding Zone which is approximately 89kms away, but we have already learnt the measurements are a bit iffy in the magazine, so we drive through the countryside looking for a sign. At one point we stop at a Vuelta official car full of police and ask for directions, but they can’t help as they too are a bit lost. We then continue to drive up the road and head for the sprint, and this then lets us find the feeding station. We park on the side of the road just as the caravan comes through, well the few cars that make up the caravan, and get some of the random free stuff that is thrown out – unfortunately the fact they throw the lollipops on the road means they are shattered by the time you get them, but it is fun chasing them anyway. We swap a few things with the guys next to us and then drive on a bit more when we find the team cars are parking near us. As usual the manic last minute arrivals happen and we are soon surrounded by people at our spot, but we manage to snag some energy bars etc.
Within minutes everybody has left and the roadside is again silent.
We are heading up to Alto de L’Angliru for the big hill climb tomorrow, so we start the drive. We can’t find it on the gps, so follow the roads that we can and start climbing up, up and up. We reach a policeman who won’t let us go any further so we park in a motorhome parking area with all the other motorhomes, watching the cars and smaller campers head further up the hill. We can see some motorhomes further up, but no idea when they arrived. I go for a small walk to the top of the adjacent hill to find a huge tent set up for a bar, comidas, TV screen and clothing merchandise. Unfortunately the paddock that it is in as well as the tents is a cow/horse paddock and it is a tad wet, so everything smells lovely and very slippery. We are fully stocked in the van so undo the awning and put out the table and chairs and kick back chatting to the Spanish guys next to us who decide to plan a travel itinerary for us which is great.
Eventually we meet up with Ben and Clare (who we met on the Tour de France), who drove from France to come to the mountain stage. So we open up some red wine and catch up. The Spanish guys next door give us another bottle of local wine and all of a sudden it is very late.
Sunday, 4 September 2011: Angliru
During the night it rained and now you can’t see the mountain tops, it is also very cold. Typical for us in the mountains. People have been walking up all morning, but we decide to head up a bit later. Some of the climb is approximately 24% gradient and it is hard going. We give up with about 1.5kms to go as the crowds are quite large and there is no visibility. We actually descend a bit down the mountain to try and see a bit more. It is so much fun to watch everybody and everything going on, although you would think the only famous person in Australia at the moment is Cadel Evans, although we did get a couple of Casey Stoner’s as well, considering the motorcycling grand prix has been on the tv. We particularly liked the people riding up the mountain with a bottle of wine in their water bottle holders, or beer – suppose whatever gets you there and let’s face it the Europeans like a bevvie. Whilst waiting for the riders we meet some fellow Aussies on the mountain, although nowhere near as many as during the Tour. Eventually the riders come through – very slowly, so we get to cheer all the Aussies on. Don’t envy their day jobs, or can understand why on earth they would choose to do it, but c’est la vie.
After all the riders and then the team cars and all the other hangeronerer cars have been through we start the trek down the mountain. Can’t believe we walked up so far.
We are staying on the mountain tonight as it is late and we can easily make it through to Villa Romana for the start on 6 September as tomorrow is a rest day in the tour.
Monday, 5 September 2011: Saldana
Up earlyish and headed off to Villa Romana. We pulled into a nearby town for fuel and even managed to get a gas bottle – oh what joy, we can have hot water in the van. We drove to Villa Romana to find it is nothing but a signpost on the road and there is no parking etc. There is an Aries in Saldana, so we decide to go in there. It isn’t much of a place and as there is some sort of festival/fiesta in town there is also a large contingent of gypsies not that far away.
After Ben and Clare arrive we decide to have a glass of wine to celebrate Scott’s birthday tomorrow and then go into town.
The town is pumping weirdly. There are some fair rides scattered around the town and a lot of places that look shut. Eventually we come across the town piazza with more things open and find a tiny little pub that don’t do meals except tapas but they pointed us to a place a few doors up the road which did meals (Restaurante Hostal El Marques). We felt all grown up having a proper restaurant dinner with proper wine glasses etc. The food was lovely and the waiter/owner also spoke excellent English. After our meal we ventured back to the first bar for a drink and to listen to a couple of the local band members belting out a few tunes.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011: Pena Cabarga
We didn’t watch the start of the race in Saldana, instead heading to Burgos for the feeding zone. Burgos is a huge town but we got through to the other side and parked Vinnie on the side of the road just before all the team cars started arriving. Why is wherever Scott and I sit the team cars arrive and we have to move, very annoying. Anyway eventually the riders come through and we score a few bits and pieces left over. Best bit was Ben and Clare’s birthday present to Scott – two signposts for the Vuelta from the side of the road. These aren’t like the Tour de France ones, these are huge full signs that they have been re-using each day, so no idea what happens tomorrow.
After all the franticness of the feeding zone we then pile into the cars and head up to Pena Cabarga. This is the last mountain stage before we leave the cycling. It turned out to be a long and very boring drive and we didn’t get to Pena Cabarga until late. We couldn’t get up the mountain (yet again) because the police had it blocked off, so we drove to the next village and camped near the playground and nobody minded which is great. There is a space between the campers, so we set up a bbq with the tables and chairs and chill out looking at the mountain above us.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011: Pena Carbaga
After watching another campervan couple start off their morning routine with a bottle of wine, Scott goes for a jog and Ben goes for a ride. Scott decided it wasn’t worth just doing one mountain so got lost and did three different ones, eventually coming back very tired and dirty from his trail running. The village we are in is now full of traffic and people heading up the mountain, so we pack some food and start the long trek up. This isn’t as steep as Angliru, but it certainly feels like it. However, we make it all the way to the summit today and the weather is beautiful, warm enough with a slight breeze. There isn’t anything at the top, so after a rest and something to eat we head down to about the 1km mark to wait for the riders.
The mountain is crazy, there are people everywhere and the police have no chance to control people. Of course the first rider up is Fromme from the UK but right on his heels is Cobo the Spaniard and the crowds go absolutely nuts, it is deafening and I have no idea how he even knows the way forward as it is just a sea of faces. The Australians tended to be at the back of the pack, except from Heinrich Himmler who was doing quite well.
Annoying there were some riders (not the ones in the race) who decide that once you see the first person through you should be able to start cycling down the mountain ignoring the crowds and police. Even worse these guys were Australian. Some of the Vuelta riders started their descents down the mountain at crazy speeds. Bit of a bugger to find that once you have spent the day riding up, you have to ride back down.
We are staying on the mountain again so settling into the assumed bbq spot and veg out.
