John's Raid Pyrenees Adventure

In about 2 days from this writing our first flight will be leaving Madison for Chicago, en route to Spain. Three of us, Tom Rickner, Dan Graff and I are flying together via Chicago and Madrid to Bilbao, Spain. There we will meet up with Pat Scheckel and Murray Schukar for what's been dubbed "The Basque Bros Road Trip." Over two short days we'll visit Bilbao, where we'll overnight in an AirBnB, then drive a rental to Gaztelugatxe, Guernica and San Sebastian, all on or near the Bay of Biscay, or the inside elbow where the west coast of France meets the northern coast of Spain. We'll finally bus to Biarritz, France, where we check in with tour at our first night's hotel on Wednesday, Sept. 6. There we'll be fitted on our rented bikes, get our jersey and kit bag, and instructions for starting our ride the next morning. And once we commence cycling, our 6 days on the road will follow these route summaries: A close look at the road itinerary will rev...

Passport from safe deposit box? Check. International-sized carry-on luggage? Check. Two serviceable cycling kits (or costumes, as Carrie calls them) that will be comfortable for long days in the saddle? Check. NSAIDS and butt balm for a sore bum if the days are too long or the bibshorts not comfy enough? Check. Two weeks supply of old guy meds and supplements? Check. Enough training miles behind me to give me confidence I can do this challenge? Define "enough." Or "confidence," for that matter. Well, too late now, I've paid all the money and I'm committed. "The Raid Pyrenean, otherwise known as the "Coast to coast Pyrenees," this cycling tour will take you across the Pyrenees, from West to East, over the same mythical climbs regularly seen during the Tour de France. "Starting from Biarritz on the Atlantic coast, and finishing seven days later in Perpignan on the Mediterranean coast. You will climb, among many others, the cols of the Tourm...