Ok so first an apology ….yes I know this is a day late but even if you are cold and dead inside I am hopeful you will understand that keeping the blog up to date absolutely must take second fiddle to getting miles under our belt, eating and finding somewhere to sleep….let me tell you not all have been straightforward in the last 48 hours.

So for clarity and to avoid some kind of continuous time loop anomaly it is now 2000 on 17 May and I am writing about yesterday …this might not help you actually but it sure as hell helps me!!

As is now the norm we set the alarm for 530 and head off into the dawn around 700. Given yesterdays experience (miles of nothingness, endless climbing and miles and miles of bike breaking dirt tracks, we spend 10 minutes or so before we head off consulting the map. We agree a route that will be hugely tough but will get us to Madrid if we can pull it off. Madrid was in fact one of our early ideas for an adventure destination but clearly we had too much to drink and decided that wasn’t insane enough!!

We are up around 3500 feet when we set off and in the pine forests on the side of the mountains. It is super chilly so for the first time on the trip we have to unleash the “big boy gloves” just to keep fingers warm. Within an hour or so things are definitely heating up though …..it’s another 28 + day

Given yesterdays horror story I am feeling much better about todays first 50 or 60 miles. It’s gently rolling rather than hideously flat or horrifically steep plus we roll through a number of small villages and towns (without fail they all have a racquets court….no shop or bar but always a racquets court). At one point in the day we even see two people at the same time (only once!) which causes “Los Chicos” huge excitement.

The nagging doubt in my mind, in both our minds, is that between us and a return to humanity in the form of Madrid (not sure that necessarily works as a description of humanity but let’s roll with it!) is the monstrous, horrifying, b$#@%^d that is Puerto de Naveccereda (no chance at all that i have spelt that correctly). It hoves into view almost as soon as we leave camp and taunts us with it “biglieness” all day.

Given it stands between you and your much needed rest and refuelling for the night I have to say its a really tough mental space to be in rolling closer and closer to something that you know for 100% certain is going to cause you absolute agony regardless and that you may not actually in fact be able to overcome. It’s not the first time we have been in this situation but this feels really pretty daunting.

We pause for refreshments in the town at the bottom of the climb and then, suitably prepared, we press on. Our climb up La Pierre du St Martin in the Pyrenees just about tops it in terms of challenge (and height I think) but jeez it is muscle sapping, mind melting work. It takes us over 2 hours to get up the 7 mile climb, pausing every half mile or so for food. It’s insane but eventually we do limp over the top and instantly feel like a couple of giddy kippers….coffee, pastries and I am ashamed to admit a singular beer each ensues (ashamed because this is a TMAAT rule “no beer until the days challenge is done”

The descent is no less exhilarating….I mean who doesn’t love free miles.

It’s 30 plus miles to our campsite in Madrid and as usual, when you are exhausted after a long day it’s the last few that become so difficult to get through. It’s particularly hard given we haven’t been in a noisy, busy stinky city for over two and a half weeks and about a 1000 miles.

We stagger in around 1930, exhausted, dusty, stinky (i imagine) but happy. We have cycled all the way from London to Madrid!!! If nothing else happens that is a massive, extraordinary achievement…..and as usual I blub when we reflect on it….well exhaustion effects people in different ways you know!

Over a couple of beers (obvs) and a revolting pizza we have our first proper conversation about the issue that has existed since the wrong part replacement arrived all those many days ago. Forgoing rest days and pedalling our hearts out we reckon we have caught up perhaps a day or maybe two of the five and a half we lost. The harsh reality is though that no matter how hard we push we cannot make it to Africa by our deadline through pedal power alone. The choices are call it quits in Madrid as a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to get to Africa, or dig in and simply find a way.

It’s late now, will aim to get todays (17 May) and tomorrows blog up before 2100 tomorrow and I will tell you what we decided