Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

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pistonbroke
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Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

I learned of this event from Phillipa Battye and Ernesto Pastor, the guy behind the Montañasvacias project in Teruel. Advertised as a 700km Gravel ride around the deserts and mountains of Andalucia. They had both signed up for the original start date in May which was postponed until September due to Corona Virus. The organisers Transiberica Ultracycling had previously run road events across the Pyrenees and around Spain but this was their first venture off road. Ernesto had reservations about riding in September so had deferred his entry to next year but I was keen to do it earlier which, in retrospect, was a bit of a mistake. By far the largest proportion of the September entry that were coming from abroad were British, about 40 riders but when the 2 week quarantine rule for returnees from Spain was imposed, the vast majority of these dropped out. No refunds were offered for these unfortunates so they will shortly be receiving their €200 T shirt. Poor form in my opinion.
Anyway, much hot weather training was done in the 30°+ weather we had been experiencing this summer, I even had a few days riding and sleeping at 2,000m to boost the red blood cells! The event was marketed as a gravel event, suitable for the drop bar, 40mm tyred bike that all the cool kids have these days but experience told me that something more rugged would beat me up less. I therefore rolled up at the sign in on my Van Nicholas Rohloff 29er which caused some head scratching by those who thought it was a singlespeed.
Looking at others' choice of bike showed a fair smattering of tri bars, skinny tyres and minimal kit,I was beginning to feel the odd one out until I saw James Hayden, who had recced the first 40km of the course the day before. He'd put his Canyon gravel bike back in the van and opted for a flat barred, hardtail mountain bike.
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So at 8am on the Sunday, around 100 riders assembled outside the Palais de Congress in Granada and following a Police escort, jostled our way through the old town, climbing steeply through the Alhambra. I'd heard that the first section was a bit tight and twisty so managed to get near the front avoiding potential bottlenecks. The first 20km wouldn't have disgraced a full on x country race with sharp rocky climbs and drop offs and sandy loose singletrack. We descended through a pretty whitewashed village to commence a road section that climbed 900m and led to a glorious 15km track contouring around the Sierra Nevada. We'd climbed 2,000m in the first 40km and I arrived at the first water font just as my supply ran out, it was hot. There followed a section across a high plateau that was full of deep gullies and canyons with the route making full use of the steep climbs and drops. At 80km we entered a village with the first cafe we'd seen on the route. It was rammed with riders trying to get food and drink and owners tearing their hair out to satisfy empty bellies. It seemed the organisers had not seen fit to inform anyone on the route that 100 riders were coming their way so food and goodwill were in very short supply. I managed to get an ice cream, coke and hot pork sandwich, eaten in that order, filled my water bottles and cleared off in about 40minutes. About 3km down the road there was a 30% climb on a concrete road where the pork sandwich nearly made a reappearance.
There followed more of the same scrubby terrain for about 60km until the village of Gorafe which I'd decided was me done for the day. I got there at 7pm and encountered more chaos of people trying to find sustenance. I got talking to a guy called Nacho from Gijon who said he'd found a bed in a cheap hostal (the only one) and his room had a spare bed, did I want it? I accepted and went off to get food. Day 1 done. 142km 3,600m climb.
Got going pre dawn on day 2 with another concrete road climb followed by probably the scenic highlight of the trip. The Gorafe desert section was 30km of canyon floor with imposing sandstone cliffs which changed colour as dawn broke to reveal a spectacular scene that was literally jaw dropping.
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The fast guys had ridden this the previous evening so missed the views but it was worth the time loss to see it. A road section led to the village of Gor where we'd been warned that this was the last chance of food and drink for nearly 100km. You can guess the scene. This time I wasn't so lucky, I ordered and paid for 2 sandwiches, water, coffee and a coke. The drink eventually arrived but no food. "We've run out of bread but there will be more in 10 minutes" was the reply to my enquiries. An hour later, they admitted there was no bread coming so I had an omlette and carried on into the village where I bizarrely found a bakery full of bread. Again the organisers had not seen fit to advise on the resupply options along the route. I cracked on, more than a little pissed off at the lies and delays. The route twisted and turned along forest tracks and open hillside, then climbed to the observatory of Calar Alto at 2,200m before a horrible descent into another desert section before the village of Tabernas. In the middle of this barren area was the main train line from Almeria to Granada which we'd been warned preceeded a tricky hike a bike section. This involved lifting the bike up 2m rock steps and teetering along the edge of a 100m drop on a crumbing goat track.
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It was getting late and my GPS was low on juice but I managed to get to Tabernas just as it went dark. 172km with 3,300m of climb. Again I dropped lucky and palled up with a Canadian guy who lives in Girona in a cheapish hostal.
Got away at 7am on day 3, again pre-dawn as there was a big climb out of Tavernas up to 1,500m. As I started up, about a dozen wild boar came running across the track right in front of me, they can certainly shift and are not to be messed with. This was the longest day in mileage terms and ran through miles of plastic strewn tracks through greenhouses before curving around the headland of the Cabo de Gata and along the beach into the city of Almeria.
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This was the low point of the route, both in terms of altitude and frustration of pushing the bike through miles of ankle deep sand with a perfectly good track 100m away but out of bounds due to needing to keep to the prescribed track. Reaching Almeria I had a dilemma, I was too early to to stay there but the route went steeply out of town into a seemingly inhospitable mountain section offering little shelter. I decided to take a risk and crack on. The climb was a brute, 800m of ascent on a rocky trail and took far longer than anticipated. It was getting dark when I reached the road at the top with another 10km to the nearest village. There was a chap getting into a car at the top, having been for a walk with his family. I asked him if there was anything at the next village, he said he'd drive there and see if he could find anything. I carried on and met him parked up, he'd found a place that did food and had a bed if I wanted it. I nearly kissed him! After a bit of searching I found the place and crashed out. 180km with 3,000m climb.
Then the wheels fell off, a bit.
Day 4 target was ambitious, I wanted to get as far as I could up Pico Valeta which is the 3,200m sting in the tail of the event, without risking an uncomfortable night out on the mountain and had spotted a campsite in the village of Trevelez at 1,500m. I needed to get away early again but like a prat, I'd forgotten to pay for the previous night's food and bed. I was up at 6 but couldn't find any sign of life so had to wait until 8 when the owner appeared. A quick coffee and I was away. I swear there was not 1 metre of this day that was flat. We climbed to 1,800m above the Mar de Plastico eyesore that ensures one can buy tomatoes in Tesco in January whilst breaking every labour exploitation rule in the book.
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Descended to the town of Berja and an Aldi where I stocked up on tuna empanadas and bananas, ever the hypocrite, then started the never ending uphill to Trevelez. On the last climb, a 20% killer, a lovely British couple fed me flapjack and lemonade whilst oiling my chain, a real morale boost. I got to the campsite at 7 and had a shower and food before turning in early. 130km and 4,200 uphill.
I had a cunning plan.
For 3 days I'd been to-ing and fro-ing with 5 other riders, 2 Germans, the Canadian, a Brit all of whom live here in Cataluna, and a Belgian. They were all staying in Trevelez but had had a harder day 4, having started from Almeria at sea level. I was up and away at 5am and wore everything on the climb up Pico Valeta. Again the breaking dawn as I climbed through 2,000m was incredible and the moonscape going up to the ski slopes at 3,200m took all my concentration to stay on the bike.
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The road descent towards Granada was a white knuckle ride, or would have been if my hands weren't numb and arse so sore I had to stand up. Just as I thought it was done, the route turned left off road and climbed 500m to a col then fell another bumpy 10km to the flying finish where times were taken before a cruise back into the city. I got a call from MrsPB telling me that according to Dotwatcher I'd beaten the other 5 by between 2 and 4 hours. More poor form from the organisers as the finish line was deserted so I had no idea that I'd finished until the call. My last split time on this section was 3hours 12 minutes, beating Lachlan Morton by 2 minutes, pity I was 3 days behind him. 23rd overall in the solos.
And so it was back to the event HQ to be presented with a little metal plaque for finishing and back to the camper van to think about the 7 hour drive back to Cataluna and where I could buy a rubber ring. A few met up later in the old quarter for a beer and tales of derring do, the consensus was that this was not a gravel ride and that Lachlan Morton is not human for riding the whole route virtually non-stop in 44 hours.
Last edited by pistonbroke on Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dave Barter
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by Dave Barter »

Great report Duncan and just so you know 23rd is where all the heros finish
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thenorthwind
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by thenorthwind »

I enjoyed reading that, thanks.

Well done - sounds like some wise thinking and a bit of luck here and there paid dividends, though the riding sounds incredibly tough too.

That picture of all the fields under plastic is truly shocking. Obviously I'm prone to hypocrisy in the same way, but if ever there was an image to make me think twice about it :shock:
pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

This article shines a light on the abuses going on in what appears to be a modern European country.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/featu ... 21140.html
It came to my notice after a Simon Reeve documentary as he travelled around the fringe of the Mediterranean, due to this area's isolation, being separated from the rest of Spain by the Sierra Nevada and the coast, it doesn't get much coverage. The area is littered with torn and discarded plastic sheeting, much of which is eventually blown into the sea, it's a truly depressing scene. In an effort to improve our Spanish, we also watched an eponymous drama series on Netflix which apparently came in for a lot of criticism here for being too close to the truth. The real price of cheap food is not just an issue for migrant workers in the UK.
Lazarus
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by Lazarus »

Nice write and Dave is correct you are hero and you beat Lachlan - at least that is how i would tll the story

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pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

Managed to unearth a photo of me on one of the more photogenic sections of the route. Wasn't quite sure but MrsPB recognised my "hunched over the bars" position, I prefer the attack position :grin:
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pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

Lachlan Morton was riding with a camera, until he dropped it. His thoughts on the event are chronicled here. https://youtu.be/gT62MIiLRrs
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Boab
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by Boab »

pistonbroke wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:55 pm Lachlan Morton was riding with a camera, until he dropped it. His thoughts on the event are chronicled here. https://youtu.be/gT62MIiLRrs
Not a good look to be fast asleep in your car, when the first rider home pitches up at the finish line...
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pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

At least they had bothered to be there unlike when I finished. It took a call from MrsPB who was 1,000km away to tell me I'd finished. :roll:
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larsmars
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by larsmars »

Great write up, inspired to ride this someday. Definitely agree on bike choice! I do love Granada, and Spain for that matter. Sad to be reminded about the plastic grow huts. I remember that Simon Reeves docu.

And yes, Lachlan must be a cyborg... but you beat him.
pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

Bit of a thread resurection. The official film of the event has just hit YouTube
https://youtu.be/-nJu0vEVAes
Couple of shots of me (blue top yellow band on 1 sleeve, @2m40s and on climb up to Cabo de Gata)
redefined_cycles
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by redefined_cycles »

pistonbroke wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:04 pm Bit of a thread resurection. The official film of the event has just hit YouTube
https://youtu.be/-nJu0vEVAes
Couple of shots of me (blue top yellow band on 1 sleeve, @2m40s and on climb up to Cabo de Gata)
Thanks for this Duncan. Looking forward to it...
pistonbroke
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

The organisers have just sent out the photos they took over the course of the event. I've picked out a notable one which rather confirms my thinking that this wasn't a gravel bike friendly event :shock:
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I've picked out a notable one which rather confirms my thinking that this wasn't a gravel bike friendly event
Dunno, they're usually lighter :wink:
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Verena
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by Verena »

pistonbroke wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:04 pm Bit of a thread resurection. The official film of the event has just hit YouTube
https://youtu.be/-nJu0vEVAes
Couple of shots of me (blue top yellow band on 1 sleeve, @2m40s and on climb up to Cabo de Gata)
You didn't happen to meet Lissa from Belgium there did you? https://www.instagram.com/p/CEzyw5WlVJn ... 84qnw9va9d
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Re: Badlands 2020 Racing in a time of Covid

Post by pistonbroke »

Sorry no, apart from the first day scrum at cafes, I kept bumping into the same 5 or 6 riders who were similar pace, you can lose a lot of people in 700km
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