Hi! My name is Francisco and I am from Benetússer.
This is the third year that I am going to take part in this sportive. I had never done any bicycle touring before.
Cycling is a passion that I only discovered recently, and it has helped me a lot on a personal level.
In it, I have found a way of getting around, doing sport, having a good time and making great friends.
Friends that help you, with whom you can discover new things, and who bring out the best out in you.
When I finish a route, I have to look at the route planner to believe what I have achieved that day.
This sportive is a personal challenge that I set myself to stop me from just sitting around at home. With the help of my friends in our little group and the encouragement they give me, I look forward to this sportive and hope to be able to complete it without any risks or issues, always carefully and calmly. As I am not in the best physical shape for this kind of event.
I see that this sport has a big following and there is lots of commitment here, in our land, and we are well represented by people that are very able.
Incredible to watch how the first participants were already on their way down, when I hadn’t reached the top of l’Oronet.
On the V-21, I saw that I couldn’t keep up with the pace of the group I had joined and, thinking about how far I still had to go, I decided to slow down. Almost everybody passed me by and lots of them encouraged me and some even offered me a wheel to follow… But I couldn’t keep the pace up.
What’s amazing about this sport is that, without even knowing you, other riders help you, encourage you and even stay back with you so that you don’t feel alone. That is how I met Joaquín and learned what happened to him a long time ago.
When we stopped at Alto de l’Oronet, I saw a guy with an MTB, who was in the sportive. We met two years ago and he followed my wheel and we both crossed the finishing line together. We were talking about that right up to the first slopes on Segart, where I told him that I was going to fall back and cycle up slowly…
This was the most difficult part of the route for me. All the strength went in my legs and I only managed to get a 1/4 of the way up – on the bike; I walked the rest of the way…
When I reached the Alto de l’Oronet, I was able to fill my water bottles and eat something to keep me going to Valencia. My goal was to get there and to complete the sportive. I didn’t mind what position I was in. I was weak, but not broken. It was all about going at a pace that I could manage. And I was last of the last … I don’t know where these guys get their energy, I was out of it I was so exhausted.
Thanks to the organisers and the traffic corps, I was able to make it to the finishing line.
Along the way, the organisers on motorbikes asked me how I was and if I needed help, the broom wagon also offered to help and the van that was taking down the signage. They also told me what position I was in and the way to Patacona Beach.
I want to thank the Guardia Civil Traffic Corps for the fabulous work they did and also the motorist who cheered me and escorted me to the finishing line.
See you in 2020!
Cycling is my passion!
