Everybody knows the best way to recover from a long hard ride is to follow up the next day with a nice easy spin. Day two is La Vuelta’s version of a short, leisurely trip (only 85 to 100 miles depending on the hotel).
Our day starts out with a spirited launch out of Ponce with a little time spent on the highway (complete peloton + a really professional police escort = a safe and fun early morning romp). As the sun rises, the riders push through on the glassy smooth roads by miles of refineries. Riders are moving fast and not talkative. All you hear is the hum of the tires and the movement of the chain across the sprockets. Sounds like all sorts of sexy to me.
Breakfast is at an abandoned sugarcane factory in the middle of glorious nowhere. This is where the bunch splits. Today we shadowed the hammerheads – the elites. In a field of nearly 600 accomplished riders only 40 or so have what it takes to hang with this crew.
The road opens up, it’s show time, and I’ve got a front-row seat. The riders move into formation and suddenly I’m watching a scene I normally have to wait until July to enjoy. Speeds range from 25 to 35 mph for quite a while with a 5-minute stint at 40 (there was a bit of a tailwind and a slight downhill, but still). There’s a good reason these guys remind me of pros. A number of them used to be and a few more still are.
On and on we fly over smooth narrow roads through a rural setting that might as well be a thousand miles from frenetic San Juan. We stop to enjoy a few of the remote, pristine seaside towns that beckon to be savored. But our time is cut short and we’re on the road again and in no time we are warmly welcomed by the people of Mayaguez. 80 miles down and noon is still an hour away.
To all of my heroes in Group A, thanks for the memories and the inspiration. I’m dusting off my titanium hottie as soon as I get home. I won’t ride the same and I definitely won’t look the part, but I’m going to find a smooth patch of road and see how close I can come.
Tomorrow we hang out with Group B until the whole peloton joins together for the final push into San Juan. Magic.
