Let’s go to Portugal, arriving and transferring from Porto to Braga, the northern largest city in Portugal for a come together and get to know each other before we cope the first stage of the tour.

What have I undertaken again. Hard days lie ahead of mine, will have to cope 2500 to 3500 meters of altitude each day, that’s for a cyclist of my stature already really demanding. However, I am confident, that I have already cycled almost 8500 km this year and, of course, that I have passed all these long-distance events. As Chis recently said on the road in Burgundy, he sees a new Roland on the bike. So, as always: At the end, it will be fine …

Of course, Tourreport.org is also back again with daily reports. I’ve prepared the bolg posts for each stage and will fill them with content, the stories of the day, the pictures, and other incidents and you are again up to date. Will also try again to conduct a few interviews so that you even get to know my fellow travelers.

The Week of the Transportugal Roads Tour

The updated map shows the 7 stages coherently with the details of each section. Even it’s kind of a race, I will stop and shoot a few pictures, as I am curious what great landscapes are waiting for us to explore.

The Weather Forecast

Wonderful wheather conditions makes packing easier. It even looks like we don’t need a rain jacket, but of course I don’t go to the montains without one.

Equipment

Yesterday I got a message from the organizer, we have hopefully considered a checklist and know what we need to take with us, have brought our bike up to speed and also thought about cold days. Good advice, even if the weather forecast looks super warm and dry, but as we ride in the mountains on partly up to 2000 m above sea level it can be quite cool up there. Here is an overview of what we need for a seven day ride.

My Travel Adventure today

With the experiences of thissummer I was of course very early at the airport and already at 6:15 am checked through the security gate and was looking forward to a small breakfast, and my reading as I suddenly saw, the flight to Porto delayed by 1 hour.

Well, that wasn’t it yet. Short after 10 o’clock I was then on my 17C and we waited again half an hour on the runway. Obviously the pilot had clearance to fly without limits, because we were then after 2:15 hours in Porto, where I then finally waited another hour for the transfer to Braga.

Braga is a small city with a very relaxed flair. Nothing noisy, no hustle and bustle, people walk very relaxed in the city. Our team hotel is a renovated old hospital, beautifully done, old and new wonderfully integrated. I then got lunch and met the first competitors and my bike friend Chris from London.

In the evening, after the introduction to the first stage tomorrow, we sat together for dinner and got to know each other, but then I had to pay tribute to my travel day, where the alarm clock rang at 3:45, and said goodbye to the room, where I’m just writing these lines ready and then go to bed to start tomorrow at 6:00 this new adventure. What else I took away from tonight, everyone is looking forward to this week.

So that’s it for now, I’m off to bed now, and I’m off to the first stage tomorrow, fresh and alert.

C U

Roland