Tenerifegate

Some warm weather training which, as it happens, was perfectly timed to coincide with the return of winter to the British Isles. Cycling in Tenerife is superb: great roads, great climbs, ace weather and motorists who not only respect cyclists, but actually give little 'toots' of support as you are battling your way up the volcano!

In a seven day holiday I only managed to climb on the bike three times but each trip was worth it. The first up to the little town of San Miguel was more or less just to see what the roads were like and to stretch the legs after the flight.

The second was the big one. Meeting LTB on the coast road we wound our way up through the banana plantations, through the town of Guia de Isora and up into the forest. It soon became clear that LTB was the victim of a dodgy piece of Monkfish Carpaccio and was struggling. 'Chapeau' to him though, as he ploughed on with a Lance-like 'death stare' to an altitude of 1500m before being forced to pack it in, head back to the hotel and, it later materialised, throw up on the way down.

I struggled on, and after some 5 hours of climbing, reached the summit. Which wasn't really a summit at all, but a plateau, which resulted in me cycling about for quite a bit just to make sure that I had reached the highest point and couldn't be accused of doing only half a job!

Great descent to the villa, reaching speeds of over 50mph and overtaking the odd car or two!

Third trip was a shorter run but along wonderful twisting hairpins to the village of Vilaflor.