Whilst our ride back to Pamplona did retrace our route over the last two passes it was then only another twenty kilometres back to the hostel, certainly not the convoluted pass grabbing roads that we used earlier. It was certainly a mixed set of emotions on the bus, a stage win for Mikel, the mountains jersey confirmed for Geth but on the flip side I’ve lost the overall lead (although I do get to wear the pink and green jersey of girls race leader tomorrow). The really weird thing is that I’m not even too disappointed, after all, we won’t be defending the jersey and as Dad pointed out, we are quite good at the very much more controlled discipline of criterium racing.

The other bonus is a later start and less travelling – well until we’ve done, Dad is keen to get away sharp so we aren’t too late at our overnight hotel up at Bordeaux.

“Gab,” a hand shook my shoulder, “we’re back.”
“Swhat?” I enquired cracking an eye open.
“We’re back at the hostel,” Claire repeated.

Okay, so I fell asleep, its been a hard day.

“’Kay,” I allowed, stretching before clambering out of the bus behind her.
“Dirty gear in the basket when you come to dinner,” Angela instructed, “bike kit only please.”

Dang, have to do everything else when we get home.

“You alright Gab?”
“Shouldn’t I be?” I queried right back.
“You can be quite competitive,” Manda pointed out.
“nd?” I smiled in reply.
“You’re plotting something.”
“Might be,” I allowed.
“Come on then, spill.”
“After dinner, bags the shower.”

I edged closer to the bathroom door.

“Urgh! Had again, don’t be too long eh.”
“Quick as a flash! Cheers.” I dived through the door and closed it behind to claim my cleansing water.

Of course we had to celebrate Mikel’s stage win, Caro had located some fizzy wine in a local supermarket so we toasted our temporary team mate over the chicken macaroni with green salad that someone had substituted for dinner. Dad took a long shot bringing him in but he’s repaid that in spades, always in the thick of things and his performance today should raise his profile with the Spanish authorities. So we raised a glass to today and another to tomorrow – well it was hardly alcoholic was it?

After eating, Dad had us adjourn to a quiet corner outside to go over stage four, the centrepiece and grand finale of this week’s race.

“So guys,” he started, “nearly there. Two stage wins, both mountains classifications, well done you two and barring disaster tomorrow a spot on the final podium. Oh and of course we fill all three steps for the girls, not bad for a bunch of rejects eh? One thing’s for sure you’ve taken the racing to the rest, it might not all have gone to plan but we are the envy of the other teams. However I reckon we can go that bit further, claim that top step overall, everyone up for that?”
Mikel raised an arm, “But Senõr Bond we have only the circuits tomorrow.”
“And how do you race circuits Mikel?” Dad asked.
The Spaniard considered his reply, “i guess we ride for an hour then sprint for the finish?”
“Which is exactly what everyone is expecting tomorrow but what we won’t be doing,” Dad told him.
“Senõr? But it is the way.”
“Not where your team mates come from Mikel and if Senõr Sanchez or Senõr Vasquez want to take the honours they’ll have a steep learning curve.”
“Senõr?”
“He means they’ll have to learn quickly,” Claire told the boy from Seville.
“Ah,” he allowed still wearing a slightly confused look.
“You’ll soon catch on man,” Josh supplied.
“Hut hmm,” Dad interrupted, “if I could?”
“Er sorry Boss.”
“Right, if this is going to work we have to play them at their own game as well as ours, we need twenty one seconds minimum so here’s the plan….”

“You think it’ll work?” Mand queried as we lay in the heat of our room – how do the locals ever get to sleep?
“What other choice is there? Its not like there’s a mountain to attack on.”
“True, but from the gun?”
I gave a shrug – not that she could see it in the gloom, “if I can get the lap it’ll be game over.”
“Only if they don’t get one back.”
“Which is where you guys come in,” I smarmed.
“Couldn’t we do it with, I dunno, ten to go?”
“Doubt I could get the time and hold it, they’ll be warming up for the finale then,” I pointed out.
“I guess,” she sighed.
“Come on Mand, if you guys distract them I’ll be away and back in the pack before you know it.”
“If you say so.”
“Confidence girl,” I told her with more of the same than I really felt. Lets face it, if the gambit fails that’ll be it, I won’t get a second chance and….no that's defeatist talk.
“Think I’m gonna get a cold shower, I’ll never get to sleep as hot an’ sweaty as this.”
“Great idea, might join you, I mean have a shower too, not like with you or anything,” I gabbled.
“Gab, I know what you meant, not that I’m against sharing but I know you don’t bat for my side.”
“I didn’t mean...oh bugger.”
“Don’t sweat it, look I wasn’t gonna say anything but well, I’m sort of seeing someone.”
“You are?”

And so we spent the next hour or so getting those showers and discussing Mand’s potential love life.

Having done the pep talk stuff last night, breakfast was a bit more relaxed than the last few days, well the later start helped too. In fact I got as far as three cups of coffee, well okay the cups aren’t that big but it is extra caffeine.

“Okay everyone,” Caro called for our attention, “you’ve got an hour before we go down to the town, I suggest case packing might be a good idea, we will be back here for showers but we really do need to get away sharp, Gab?”
“Are we eating after? We usually get dinner.”
“Angela is doing some sandwiches and stuff for after, we’ll eat properly up the road. Okay?”

Well I’d prefer our usual post race blow out but we don’t usually have a day and a half travelling after.

“Guess,” I allowed.
“Right, nine thirty out front.”

It might be the junior tour but the organisers have given us a couple of support races, by the time we reached the centre the first one was already underway. We’ll get circuit time before we race of course but Dad packed us all off to have a walk around – seeing how others ride the circuit might just give us an edge in the race I guess.

“Some of these corners are well dodgy,” Sal opined.
“Not many, hundred twenty and cobbles,” Daz added.
“You're forgetting its barely two bikes wide,” Geth complained.
“Need to be up front to keep out of trouble,” Tal told us.
“Spanish crits all like this Mikel?” Mand asked our Iberian guest.
He shrugged, “some are more open, others more like this.”
“Ah can see why they leave it to the finish like,” Josh mentioned.

Sure enough the mixed masters / ladies race was following just that pattern – not a procession, they were certainly racing just not attacking. The circuit is a classic kilometre split between the main ‘square’ and a sort of knobble that takes in a few of the ‘quaint’ back streets. I suppose in reality its not much different to some of the circuits back home in Germany and we do alright in them.

“So?” Dad asked when we got back to the shared team area.
“Lose a bit of pressure or we’ll be bouncing all over,” I suggested.
“Glad its not wet like,” the Toon noted.
“Duh!” Mand stated pointing at the cloud free blue sky above us.
“Was just saying,” he clarified.
“Anyone else?” Dad queried.

No one else had anything to add so whilst the mechanic-ing team attended to tyre pressures we all started our pre race prep. Kat and Angela came round to smother us in sun screen, might be a bit late now but it can’t hurt. We didn’t bring enough Turbo’s for everyone to use at the same time, well just two actually so I collared one as soon as my bike was ready, the others will do a less structured warm up on the circuit.

It might seem a bit daft to expend so much energy on the pre race warm up but especially today, if the plan is to work I need to be running hot at the start, there won’t be two or three laps grace. I was soon lost in the metronomic state of a steady cadence, nothing too sweat inducing but enough to thoroughly warm the ol’ muscles – at least that ‘tear’ I had seems to have sorted itself out.

“Time Bond,” Gret advised as she threw the towel at me.
“Already?”
“If you want to get on the circuit, the second race has about five laps to go.”
“Right,” I started to ease my effort down whilst using the towel to mop some of the sweat off both me and the bike.
“Good, you’re already done,” Dad stated joining us, “you putting a dry bra on?”
Oh the joys of womanhood, “I’d best,” I agreed plucking at my soggy sports bra.

It still seems a weird way to end the ‘tour’, the other stages have been quite testing but I guess this is sort of the equivalent of the Paris procession at the end of the Tour de France. That pretty much always ends up as a big sprint with the event winner just sitting in for the day. Well if the Spaniards are expecting the same sort of thing this afternoon they’re about to get a rude awakening.

I joined the others on the circuit, we managed five laps before we were called in so they can do the pre stage intros and stuff. Its a diversion I could do without, especially today but I guess its the same for everyone else. And it is the last one this week and I guess if the crowd know who’s out there riding I might get some encouragement during the race.

The MC started things off with the likes of Curly Vasquez, no longer in the running for the overall but as National champion clearly a favourite for the win today. Then it was the turn of the various ‘in’ race jerseys to be presented before winding things up with all three main podium riders getting interviewed. Of course when it came to me it was a bit short, a mixture of German, English and Spanish doesn’t work particularly well.

Before me of course there was the lad in third, one of the French lads, another thirty eight seconds behind me but only a couple in front of a big group including Mikel, Josh, Geth and Curly. Of course the new Green jersey wearer, Juan Louis Sanchez himself, had longest with the mic thrust in his face as the MC enthused about the almost certain Spanish win of the overall. But finally it was over and we were allowed to return to our bikes, departure just a ‘warm up’ lap away.

“That went on a bit,” Tal mentioned as we made our way around the circuit a last time before the race.
“Can’t miss anyone out,” Mand offered.
“You’re quiet Gab,” Daz observed.
“She’s getting in the zone man,” Josh told him.
“We all ready for this?” Gret asked.
“If we’re not its too late now,” Geth stated.
I took a deep breath as we approached the last corner, “right, lets do this.”

Maddy Bell © 08.05.2018