Big Sur to Ca-ca-ca-yucos

Before we start..all smiles...

 So Day 2 was a trifle really, a little 'Amuse Bouche' before the main course of Day 3, I realised.  86 miles and 5000 feet of climbing. There was a little tension in the air..this was a big day coming up I innately sensed (and from reading the route map) . It began as we left off, riding the cliffs by the sea, with a big ascent straight out of the hotel. I rode with a Firefly called Joel who I hadn't met properly before. What is often tough is finding the right rider. Some like the climbs, some like the descents, others the flats, others the chat at the end of the day.  This ride had it all, so you needed a riding partner if not a group. We took on what we could over undulating roads that hugged the coastline. There were climbs that sucked your energy and long descents hugging the winding coastline. All the solo rides, all the trudging around bike shops buying spares and supplies, all the fixing broken spokes or whatever, seemed to lead up to today. I was ready for it and turned myself inside out to make it happen. It wasn't bad, and if I crash and burn for the rest of it I had this morning where we reached the front group and kept it going.

We stopped for coffee at the 'Whale Watchers Cafe'. If you find yourselves there on route one in California make sure you are a group of four or less as the lady in there was not happy with multiple orders. Come on America, customer service is your thing. Don't let the old bat there drag you all down. Maybe a little more whale watching would mellow her out.

The two bumps on the profile were not pleasant and nor was the coffee.

We left the cliffs and rode long flats by the dunes. As I found myself on my own I remembered the Directeur Sportif's words "Don't find yourself on your own on the flat section". Too late. But then Joel appeared again and we took on the final miles to lunch . San Simeon has a cool pier and a little place that produced indigestible Pulled pork sandwiches. It's becoming a theme, but if you run a restaurant serving pulled pork and tri-tip then have more than one bathroom, I'd suggest. We rode as one group to Cayucos, and I kept up with the "lady train" near the back..The sun was suddenly on us and I felt a little faint. Gone was the bravado and again the legs said "..ah but you are weak non? what if you stopped here and had to confess to being a complete Pussy non?" I really didn't feel too hot. Luckily for me it was easy riding to the the hotel and I kept my shit together enough for no one to notice. Again chocolate milk, stretching and a beer. Kudos to the organisers of this event, it is slicker than a shoot. We await tomorrow. 97 miles..oh dear. Why am I up doing this?

Joel on a tractor