A etapa de domingo era na versão anterior da TransPortugala transição entre o montanhoso de Tras os Montes e o plano sul de Portugal. Este ano a coisa mudou e do montanhoso Tras os Montes iremos para o montanhoso da Serra da Estrela.

Partimos então de Freixo de Espada à Cinta deixando o belo Rio Douro pela calçada de Alpajares , uma calçada bem técnica e um dos pontos mais belos de toda a TransPortugalS. E após cruzar o Douro é sempre a subir até Castelo Rodrigo. Após Almeida uma secção nova que liga à Guarda.

Finalmente tinha a minha bicicleta pronto, mas com a roda do fotógrafo e o disco do atleta que está a usar a minha.

Logo no inicio da etapa um dos atletas canadianos teve um problema com o GPS e logo após partir acabei por me ver de novo na partida. Depois do problema resolvido arrancaram e apesar de ter tentado seguir com eles, depressa me deixaram para trás. REsumindo foi o mesmo que sair com 15 minutos de atraso... No fim até resultou em meu beneficio pois tive a calçada quase toda livre para mim...

Logo após cruzar o Douro encontrei o F. Com problemas na roda de trás e após alguns minutes lá dei com o azar dar um jeitinho, mas não resolver totalmente a coisa...

Ao chegar a Castelo Rodrigo o F. Ficou e eu abasteci de água e comprei uma bela sandocha no café que tinha acabado de abrir (é o que dá ser domingo, está tudo fechado). Penso que acabei por sair cerca de 25 minutos antes do ultimo e tive toda a rota até Almeida e a descida para o rio Coa por minha conta. A descida foi divertida, mas para lá chegar tive muita recta para papar.

Na secção até ao final fomos brindados com 2 subidas e vários caminhos antigos, belas vistas e bem divertido... Pena que os atletas mais cansados tenham acabado por não os apreciar pois eram bastante cansativos... Tive a companhia do A. mas já chegamos à chegada fora do controlo. Felizmente mesmo assim chegamos muito mais cedo que no dia anterior e consegui ir jantar às 20h30.

Segunda será um grande dia, vamos a ver que peripécias me esperam...

Sunday’s stage was in the previous version of the TransPortugal a transition from the hillier Trás os Montes to the flatter south of Portugal. This year however, it is the transition from the hills to the mountains of Serra da Estrela.

These are the highest mountains in mainland Portugal (Ilha do Pico in Azores has the highest Portuguese mountain). And was would be expected much is expected on that day, but is for a later post.

So today we left Freixo de Espada à Cinta leaving the beautiful Rio Douro to go through the calçada de Alpajares, a very technical downhill and one the most beautiful and famous passages in the TransPortugal. After crossing the Douro climbing to Castelo Rodrigo and after that flater towards Almeida. After this came the diversion to Guarda, right at the doorstep of Serra da Estrela.

This day there were no problems that I was aware of, I was riding my bike, but with the photographer’s front wheel and a borrowed disk, but all the rest was mine, there is nothing like one’s steed...

One of the Canadian participants had a problem with his GPS so right after the official start as I started on the route, I was back again, A. M. Quicly resolved the problem by giving them a new unit and there I was sweeping them on their route. Unfortunatelly for me they were much quicker than me and I could not even keep up on the first climb.

That meant that I had a 15 minute delay in my start and ended up only getting to the last guys at the calçada. Good for me, it meant that I had it clear and managed to ride most of it.

After crossing the river I meat F., he was having mechanical problems with a lot of drag on his rear wheel. After a few minutes trying to find it it seemed that it was a combination of drag from the disk and a loose cassette. While I could do something for the first, the second one needed more specific tools to be dealt with.

After a slow climb to Castelo Rodrigo F. Stopped at CP2B not to destroy his bike or himself and hopefully recover a bit more for the third stage. The previous competitor had left only 10 minutes ago but I still had to refill my camelbak and grab a bite to eat at a cafe. Concluding, i believe that when I did leave I had about a 25 minute gap, which I only cleared and the uphill from rio Côa. A. ended up being my companion for the rest of the day.

The track from Almeida to Guarda was similar to the previous stage, hilly terrain, but longer climbs. And the last 20km had several technical bits, making it slower but very enjoyable. Too bad that some of the athletes could not enjoy it due to their level of tiredness.

A. Was keeping a good pace but the constant climbs got to him and we arrived at the finish line with it already closed... But much earlier than Saturday, so refuel at the feed zone, wash the bike and all the kit and at dinner at 20h30.

Tomorrow is a big day.