台灣 Team Cinelli Ritchey 車隊

I am back home in the Basque Country, north of Spain, visiting family and friends for Christmas, as usual. But the Cinelli-Ritchey machine doesn´t stop, and I am training for the new 2010 season here.

Last Sunday I rode 4 hours inland direction to Navarra, then up a small mountain to France, then westbound to the coast to return to Hondarribia.

It´s been cold, and raining, which makes it a bit uncomfortable, but I want to believe it will make me tougher and stronger. I felt like a clumsy snowman when I first wore my winter clothes after a year wearing short sleeves in Taiwan, but it is necessary here. After a damp and chilly first hour, the sun came out when I reached the cute town of Sare. The terrain is hilly and twisty, small roads with little traffic, very entertaining and scenic. This ride offers a wide variety of landscapes, and gives you no break (no flat sections and no sustained climbs nor descents).

3 hours into the ride (I thought I had burnt enough calories by then), I stopped at a “patisserie” (pastry shop), to get a bite of a cherry filled “gateau basque” (basque pastry). I am back here for a short time, so I have to seize every opportunity to get a taste of the local stuff!

I could also fill my bottles at the water fountain in the main plaza at the village. That is how it works here, no convenience stores, but bakeries and public fountains instead.

Looking forward to more rides in the roads where I learnt to love cycling, cheers!