A CHARITY BIKE RIDE TO LOS PICOS DE EUROPA

A New Years Resolution

The Picos Ride has a very special motivation for Luke Vaz. Four years ago, aged only 10, his mother died of a cancerous brain tumour. She fought hard against the odds and relied heavily upon the support given by the South East Cancer Help Centre. Luke's New Year resolution for 2010, together with his father Tom, was to do something special in memory of her.

It is their reason for making this challenging ride into the mountains of Los Picos de Europa. It is there way of saying thank you, for all the help and comfort provided to their mother and wife.

Accompanying Luke and his dad, is Des Donohoe of the Anerley Bicycle Club. His father died of postate cancer.

There are few of us who have not had family members or friends affected by the devastation that cancer causes, so please support Luke and the other riders, in raising money for this local cancer charity.

JAN 2010 The Picos Riders Start Training

JAN 2010 The Picos Riders Start Training

Saturday, 27 February 2010

The Rain in Spain

The northern coast of Spain is known as the Costa Verde, the Green Coast. I havn't yet told Tom and Luke that the rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the plain, it falls on the mountains! So with this in mind I have been ensuring that we have a roof over our heads at each night's stop. I thought they might like to spend a night in my favourite horreo as it is close to the Picos. As you can see from the clothes hanging out to dry, we had just finished an afternoon's ride in torrential rain.
Well I did say that this was going to be an adventure for young Luke!
Whilst we have been out training for the ride since January, we have only just started the fund raising. In just a few days, the sum of £595 has been donated. A very big thank you from all of The Picos Riders. Your generosity is very encouraging.
And for those who have not yet got around to it, just click the button on the right!
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Sunday, 21 February 2010

A bit of Bribery!

I led an Anerley bike tour across Spain to Santiago de Compostela in 2005, so I know just how hilly it is! Luke and Tom will need to get a lot of training miles in. But how many boys of Luke's age get the chance of an adventure like this?
To encourage Luke I have promised him 10p a mile towards our target of £5,000. Luckily for me, the snow and ice has drastically reduced his mileage target for this month! We tried to make up for lost days with regular hill walking in the snow.
However when our snow had gone, I did manage to make Luke suffer for his pennies. He forgot his gloves when we cycled to the top of Botley Hill, the highest point on the North Downs. Lots of snow still there, but it did put a glow in his cheeks, in contrast to his blue hands!
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About The Ride

This is going to be a long hard ride, from Santander and into the Spanish Cantabrian mountains, so cycle and fitness training began early for 14 year old Luke Vaz, even before the snow has gone!
Here Luke is followed by his Dad, Tom. The last in the trio is me, Des Donohoe. I am a long time member of the Anerley Bicycle Club and the tour leader.
Our destination is Los Picos de Europa. These white topped mountains were the first sight of land seen by the Spanish galleons returning from the Americas. Hence the name, the Peaks of Europe.

AUG 2010 Into the mountains

We set off in August, during the school holidays. Taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander.
The first night's stop will be at the small fishing port of San Vicente de la Barquera which nestles below the majesty of Los Picos de Europa.






We will by cycling for 12 days in Spain. Visiting several places which are of great significance in the early Christian history of Spain. The furthest point west on the tour will be to Covadonga in the Principality of Asturias. This is considered to be the birth place of modern Spain.



At Covadonga in the year 750, the Asturian prince Pelayo inflicted the first defeat of the Moors in battle and so began the Reconquest of Spain. This victory was foretold to Pelayo during a dream whilst sleeping in a cave. For Christian Spain this cave (La Santa Cueva) and the holy Basilica that has been built to commemorate the victory, are of huge religious and historical significance.








Perhaps more important to us cyclists, is the 12 mile climb up (and fast descent down), the mountain road to the Los Lagos (lakes) de Covadonga. This route regularly features in the cycling road race classic, the Vuelta a España!
You can view the route of this day's climb into the mountains, click at bottom left of the route map to see the Altitude graph. This shows an acculative climb of 5,197 feet. Ben Nevis, our highest mountain is only 4,408 ft.





After a visit to La Santa Cueva and the Basilica we continue up into the mountains and Los Lagos de Covadonga. From here we have the option of of a day hiking or cycling along the many mountain bike trails.



But we must not forget the purpose of this ride. Medical research has established that regular cycling can significantly reduce the likelihood of contracting most cancers. So we are the lucky ones. Please give something for the less fortunate.

Thanks, from the Picos Riders.



The Anerley Bicycle Club was founded in 1881. By the 1890s club members were cycling in foreign lands so we have a wealth of experience. This is me on an Anerley tour to Galicia in Northern Spain in 2005.
Follow our monthly reports about training and other preparations for the Picos Ride if you want to learn more. Or better still, why not join us for a Sunday Ride!