Blog – Day 7 and 8 – Campomarino to Melfi (Continued) and Melfi to Sala Consilina

Day 8

The group started with a team photo at the Hotel Due Pini in Melfi. the pain of day 7 already only a memory. We made our way over Viaduct thta were incredible engineering statements and a credit to Italy as was the incredible scenery. Throughout the trip we have found our Italian hosts to be incredibly supportive and helpful and that theme has continued every day. The ride to Sala Consilina was incredibly hilly and a real mountain test. We also saw ice and snow warning by the side of the road so we realised that we were in the mountains and near ski slopes. Scott broke a gear cable and Neil (who disappeared early in the morning and was lost until we found him at the Hotel in the evening !!!) broke a spoke on his really high performance wheels which meant that he had to change a wheel. The team mechanic sorted out both the problems and we are now all fit and able to continue.  The pictures below show the scenery and the pelethon.

 

 

Day 7 – Campomarino to Melfi (Continued)

 

As I said yesterday the distance should have been 92 miles but forced detours meant that the distance was 101 miles and it was 49 degrees at some points.

Joe gave his perspective as follows :

I’m not sure where to start but I know this will be my most extreme blog to date (both trips)

This day has been full of stories and I’m sure I will forget some but Ill try my best.  This reminds me…..  Yesterday I forgot to mention a strange thing that happened. As we were riding up the tough hill I looked down a Sophs hand and the whole way up the hill sat a Ladybird as if to keep her company and watch over her (well done Ellie)

Anyway onto today.

It started as any other with the pre bike prep, only difference was that Tim and Tom got to unvail their newly decorated bikes as is tradition on your birthday on these trips.  Tom and Tim shared birthdays on the 21st June. We decided that as the route was slightly unsure that those with sat nav’s would lead.  I was one of these and put in charge of the slower group to look after soph and co.  This was fine but I forgot to charge my sat nav so it died 3 miles into the ride.  Luckily both Scotty and Guy were there also with sat navs.

 

 

As we got into a pelaton and made some good ground I started to write today’s blog in my head and thought it might be intresting as it was getting hot and also there were prostitutes literally every mile down the road.  Happy days potentially other than the fact the vast majority were really ugly!  We rode hard down the road and covered 30miles in what seemed like no time at all.  Stopped for a water refill and carried on.  This is where it all went wrong…..

Firstly we all went down a road which turned out to be unpassable meaning turn around and go back on ourselves 3 miles with another 5 mile diversion.  Its ok Ive done 100 miles before without much issue and soph was in good sprits for a girl who has only been riding 2.5 months.  We continued and rejoined the correct road.  At this stage the heat was getting crazy and as were now off the coast there was no breeze.  I thought that by now I had delt with every possible eventuality on a bike and could deal with anything both mentally and physically.  How wrong I have been proved.  I ran out of water with about 15 miles to lunch (not good) this has never happened as I ussualy drink very little.  I had no answer for what to do and everyone was running low, soph helped me out a bit and so did Scotty but this only helped for about 5 miles.  I went into a complete down and was no use to anyone let alone the group I was supposed to be leading and even more so Soph who I feel personally responsible for as she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me nagging her.  I felt really bad about it but I couldn’t do it, I just was not in the right place.  A large hill preceded lunch and thankly Scotty kept us going by asking us what kind of animal we would be.  A strange question maybe but it helped us not think of the hill.  Lunch could not have come soon enough for me, id run out of water felt horrible and just wanted food and silence.

It worked, food made me feel normal again and lunch perked everyone up  we arranged to meet 20 miles further on and that would split the last 40 into 2 short ride.  EASY.  I wish…

We rode down an amazing hill and got some great speed and some hairpin bends to die for until a turn in the road.  Sat nav said right, maps said left.  Live and die by the sword we took the right (follow the sat nav) this angered a few people but it was always going to.  We followed a nice (ish) road for about 5 miles and turned following the sat nav to find a gravel track.  A 10 min discussion happened to rectify this issue “shall we go around a 10 mile loop or cut across 200m of gravel.  Whilst they were discussing I got board so I went to recky the gravel track and it was fine so I gently perswaded the 11 strong group to follow.  We did 5 miles of worse stuff in spain but I got told to “pipe down” about spain. We did it and at this point the temperature was at 49 degrees.  I never thought I would ride in this again after Madrid but her I am again.  I will reiterate this is not a temperature that you should do anything in let alone ride a bike 100 miles.

Stopping ever 5 miles for shade and to consult the map as we were slightly off the map route yet still on the sat nav route seemed to drag. Everyone was getting tired and grouchy but I was not gonna allow anyone to drop off the back as that could be costly. We made it to out last stop, 20 miles from the hotel and fresh drinks on board.  I was feeling good but a few were still struggling so we pressed on at a stable pace until we hit another “dispute”  this time we couldn’t agree so we split.  Maps vs Sat nav, sat nav said a shorter distance so I took sat nav.  Up a 5 mile hill (a tough hill) with some great sceanary meant we were heading in the right direction until we started down a gravel track for a mile and then the road stopped, sat nav failed us. It stopped bad literally no road and we had the choice of going back about a 30 mile round trip or walking the track it looked about a mile so we though “Live and die by the sword” We will walk.  This was a bad idea.  We ended up waist deep in grass, mud and thorny stuff.  At least 45 mins later we got there 1 mile ish.  Spirts were still fairly high considering all and we only had 10 miles left.  I was 8pm we left at 8.30am and the last 10miles was mainly up hill (hard hills)  Soph broke and I being terrible in these situations tried to help in my own way (I don’t think it helped) we all just wanted to finish but we wernt sure where the finish was until Andrew and Neil showed up to save the day and guide us back in the last 4 miles.  What a day!  We were clapped in by the rest of the group and lots of emotion but what an achievement.  I feel in 75 years Ray Mears’s grandchild may make this into a documentary on survival of extream heat and cycling / trekking across Italy.  Tom’s 24th and Tim’s 49th will not be birthdays many of us will forget!!!

Now at the end of this long day I can not express how proud I am of Soph.  This is a 24 year old girl who has only been riding since april and has come through easily my hardest days cycling and it would be tough for the most hardened of cyclists.  She is a real inspiration and if this doesn’t make you want to put your hand in your pocket Im not sure what will?

Again thank you for your support,  It really does mean a lot.

Tomorrow only 65 miles but hilly ones so we shall see what happens

Joe x