One day in hell - Portugal's Granfondo Senhora da Graça
Words: Edson Costa & Charlie Coquillard | Pictures: @GranfondoSraGraca
The Bicycle Race That Wasn't Meant to Be
Senhora da Graça is one of the most emblematic places in Portuguese cycling — one of the mythical climbs of the Volta a Portugal, surrounded by some of the best scenery in the country.
To top it all off, the roadside crowd is always present and vibrant. After having been postponed and canceled multiple times due to COVID-19, the Granfondo Senhora de Graça was one of the first sportives to go ahead after the pandemic. I was so excited to compete again, but I realised pretty early on that it would not be an easy day. The weather forecast a week before the event was not encouraging, predicting unstable weather with rain, high winds, and temperature drop. On the race eve, there were so many unanswerable questions that I ended up putting everything in the bag — long sleeves, leg warmers, jacket and all — to choose only the following day when I'd be on the race site.
A Nightmare Come True
I stayed 2 hours drive away from the race site, so I opened my blinds at 5AM before getting on the road. My worst fears were confirmed — it was rainy and windy, and it stayed that way during the 160KM I had to drive to get to the race site. When I finally arrived in Mondim de Basto, the rain stopped, giving the other competitors and myself a bit of hope. But I am an experienced mountain rider, and I knew the weather would most likely be a lot worse at the top. So I decided to pack in the rain jacket.
The Calm Before the Storm
The race started at a good pace, and the first two climbs were done quickly and almost without rain. That was until we reached the first significant difficulty of the day, the climb to Alto da Barra. Then it started pouring. The higher we went, the worse it got. Rain was coming down heavier by the minute, wind gusts got stronger, and temperatures dropped below 6°C.
As hard as the climb was, the challenge was the downhill. 20 minutes of cold, gusty, wet descent. Riders were falling like flies.
Never Forget Your Rain Jacket
At that moment, I was grateful to have packed my rain jacket, which ended up giving me extra comfort against the rain and the cold. The 2-way zips are undoubtedly one of the most impressive features of this jacket, allowing me to regulate the temperature very effectively — sometimes opening the bottom zip, sometimes the top, and other times closing entirely when the rain was heavy.
The Last Push
The elements calmed down for a little while but returned just when I reached the foot of Senhora da Graça. "Right on time" I thought. That was the moment to give everything, enjoy the climb and use all the energy I had left to get to the top. The feeling of accomplishment when crossing the line was terrific. I had seen so many great riders and legends cross that line, and here I was, doing it myself for the first time. It was, without a doubt, one of the most challenging days I spent on the bike, but also one that will be engraved in my memory forever.