The other “speed” group the Fred Rompelberg 268 organization was doing had disintegrated and the three survivors – two northern Italians from Bolzano, Eddy and Thomas, and a big strong middle aged Dutchman – switched over to the ABRT group. The ABRT group also picked up a second guide from the other speed group, so was riding with Sebastien and Tom (who looked very much like Tom Boonen).
Big Ring Eddie was a climber and looked like a cyclist out of “The Triplets of Bellville” animated movie, slight upper body, no calves, and enormous thighs. Eddie liked to push a big gear, frequently standing, and almost never spinning. And he was really very good at climbing, does lots of Gran Fondos, and has some really good times for the climbs. Big Ring Eddie had been to Mallorca with the Fred 268 organization over ten times and knew the routes better than the guides did.
Big Ring Eddie’s friend Thomas was also from Bolzano and was bigger and not quite so optimized for climbing. Thomas’s girlfriend did not ride with the ABRT group, but reminded some of the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Big Ring Eddie, Thomas, The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo and the Dutchman all spoke German with each other, though the Wheelsucker practiced his Italian with Eddy and Thomas.
When the one major climb of the day appeared, part of the group stopped for a pee break while the others started up the climb. After the pee stop, the Wheelsucker found himself in the last group and quickly bridged to a group slightly ahead that had Ace, Matt, Katy and others. Ace was not having a stellar day, and once the climb became steeper the Wheelsucker realized that he was holding Ace’s wheel and was not actually in complete agony.
SO THE WHEELSUCKER ATTACKED!!!
He quickly opened a gap and continued. Very soon the Wheelsucker was in agony, standing for much of the climbing, and hyper ventilating. The gap opened. In the back of his mind was the incredible thought that he would beat Ace, Katy and Matt up a climb. But then Matt showed up with Ace on his wheel. The Wheelsucker was gapped slightly, but then dug deep and closed the gap. As the climb flattened out at the top, Matt prepared to sprint, while the Wheelsucker had nothing left to respond with. Matt sprinted past Ace, and the Wheelsucker rolled in a few bike lengths behind Ace. Mike “Gravity Boy” Faber beat his targets, Big Thomas and the Dutchman, up the climb.
On a later narrow road climb, the Wheelsucker tried another tactic… he switched to broken Spanish, and pleaded for no more climbs as he was an old man… and then seeing a gap on the right, pulled past the leaders and kept going. The others were too busy laughing to respond initially. He opened a small gap, but really only managed to “spook the herd”, and the stronger climbers soon came after him, caught him, passed him, and dropped him. The Wheelsucker was gapped, but stayed in contact to the top and caught them on the descent.
In addition to the climbs, there were some amazing descents.
At one point the group was riding above clouds or mist, then descended into it, and then emerged below it. There was one fall on a slick corner, with no serious injuries.
After the ride the Wheelsucker checked with Katy Giles if she had been going “full gas”. She looked at him and told him, “you beat a girl”. Katy had not been going 100%.
The group (minus the Dutchman) stopped at Frank and Carmen's La Terraza cyclists bar and met the ladies for beer, Sangria and prosciutto on melon.
Later, part of the ABRT group managed to escape “Little Berlin” and found a very nice local restaurant for dinner that was recommended by the always helpful Lut at the hotel front desk. The rest were trapped with the Germans for dinner.
The restaurant was Molin del Tem. This may have been the best dinner ever. The dumb ABRT Americans show up at a ridiculous 6:15 pm for dinner when dinner officially starts at 9:00 pm in Spain. Tem (the owner) offered to have the group sit on a patio along with the emu and ducks, where we all enjoyed a few bottles of wine. The group had a typical six course European dinner over three and 1/2 hours enjoying great local foods wine and family. It ended with the owner offering all a shot of caramel vodka.
Somehow each day surpasses the previous perfect day.
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