Saturday morning 5.30am: cockadoodle doooooo!!! Ben struggled with the blinds to try and stop Portuguese sunshine belting through our bedroom window. I rolled over and went back to sleep…..7:30am saw me sat in a locals cafe, espresso in hand taking in the atmosphere, before a quick shopping trip to get the breakfast in. We came back laden with hot baguettes, jams, cheese and more importantly a budget coffee maker, a bargain at 7 euros!
We also met our house guests the Swedes, who arrived very tired after an all night travel-fest: their plane had had to divert following a bird strike which had smashed the cockpit window!
After team registration we all jumped into the hire cars for a familiarisation trip to Chaves where the sprint is to be held tomorrow. Careful to not break the embargo rules we bumbled our way round first the castle then the old town, tuning into the terrain. We met many international friends also wandering around in the mid day heat. So back to Montalegre and after a leisurely lunch it was training or ‘model’ event time. It was becoming hot and the steep climbs on cobbled narrow streets were testing. Many struggled with the intricate navigation required. I was navigating well but struggling with my front brake. In the end I finished the course and returned to the hotel for some spanner work. I went out again after and everything now seems fine ready for the sprint in the morning.
By 11am UK time tomorrow, the sprint will be all over as the portugese organisers are taking advantage of the moderate temperatures and quiet streets of first thing Sunday morning.
Keep an eye on the event website for results…..
Best of luck to everyone in team GB!