A hot cycle up the valley

We were all exhausted last night, and poor Astra still seemed a bit traumatised this morning. 

Luke and Meriel left early to be at the start of the race in good time. You know it is going to be a tough race when it is compulsory to run with a first aid kit and a whistle! The race started at 9.10am and the rest of us cycled down to the village after breakfast and stopped at a point about 5 minutes into their run so I could get some photos - see extra. It was extremely hot today, and the course was brutal, with very steep climbs up and down the mountain. They both said you could never get into a running rhythm as it was up and down on narrow tracks with roots protruding or down stony, slippery mountain tracks. At one point Meriel, who is an excellent runner, sat down on a tree stump and thought she just could not carry on - she waited for Luke to catch up and he helped her through to the end - they crossed the finish line together in 3 hours 11 minutes for 24 km with an elevation and descent of 1247m. We cycled to meet them at two points along the route but when they were up in the mountain we could not follow them there. At the end there were so many injured people, people walking with leg splints and ankle braces...it was very easy to get injure don such a treacherous course so I am so pleased they finished injury free.

After we saw them at the last point we went back to the apartment to get the dogs and we put them in the dog trailers behind the bikes and then cycled up the Monbiel valley. It was so hot! Luckily Astra enjoyed being in the trailer, I think she felt secure in there so she relaxed more today. Her and Xena are very sweet together, they keep swapping dog beds and there has been no tension between them at all - Xena has been a very good host!

We had a lovely packed lunch sitting at a picnic spot looking at the mountains, then we cycled back to the village and had iced coffees at a cafe. Having e-bikes makes such a difference, as with all the uphills here you need some assistance! This is my lovely yellow bike on part of the route we took today.