10.02.09
San Juan del Rio Atlacomulco
83,3 km, 6:26 h, Ø 12,9, 1330 hm
I was on the road by 10am, that was the earliest I could do expecting a long day with many climbing! It were only 18 degrees when I left, but I liked it. The climbs where long, never-ending.
It felt like I wasn‘ t moving at all. Going uphill in my lowest gear at a speed of 5 km/h isn‘ t that exciting! After 40km and 3 hours pedaling I already climbed 700 m. After 53 km and 4:23h it were 1000m I climbed. I passed several small towns, bought a coke for lunch and didn‘ t eat anything except for some cookies.
Suddenly I was at the top of the pass and had an awesome view down a valley that‘ s what you get for sweat and pain! I rested there for a while before enjoying a great downhill-ride on a shoulderless road with some potholes. There was a lot of traffic the whole day, careful and patient when passing me, as usual.
And as if a lot of traffic, no shoulder and heat isn‘ t enough there was also a strong wind blowing, coming out of every direction, just not from the back:-(.
10 km before I reached Atlacomulco I couldn‘ t believe what I saw: another climb!!! I almost cried when I saw it, but I had no choice and just kept pedaling! Lumberjacks were working there and when one started to talk to me all of them stopped working. They asked me what I do at night!!! What‘ s there to do??? Maybe sleep? Well, the climb was almost 5 km long and followed by a downhill-ride into Atlacomulco.
I stayed at the first hotel I saw (220 Pesos), put my bike in the garage, took a hot shower, got the worst pizza of my life(so far), drank a beer and though I was totally exhausted it took me forever to fall asleep.
Anja