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TransPortugual
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Anyone ever do it?
If so it looks like a pretty great deal for the price. Meals, transport and hotels and organization for 8 days etc for 2k
What is the technical riding like? I am definitely roady and tri geek through and though but looking to change it up and this looks like something to keep me on track.
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Re: TransPortugual [caffeinatedtri] [ In reply to ]
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No idea personally but that looks pretty awesome. My parents are from a village about 30mins from the start of this in northern Portugal. I’ve done some road riding there and it’s definitely underrated as a cycling destination
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Re: TransPortugual [caffeinatedtri] [ In reply to ]
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Make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. You're going to be climbing some beasts, the likes of which you usually only see in the Vuelta, Giro and Tour.
Just some highlights, ignoring some hellish Cat 3s, etc:
- Stage 2: what I'm guessing is São Cristóvão right at the start, 17Km at 6.5%.
- Stage 3: Portela de Folgosinho, 12.6Km at 6.8% at elevation; Piornos, 20Km at 6.7% at altitude.
- Stage 7: what I'm guessing is actually the Foia, 9Km at 6.2% always featured in the Volta ao Algarve.

What I mean is that if you're not used to proper mountains and only do hills, you're going to suffer especially until you have Serra da Estrela behind you.
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Re: TransPortugual [347CX] [ In reply to ]
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347CX wrote:
No idea personally but that looks pretty awesome. My parents are from a village about 30mins from the start of this in northern Portugal. I’ve done some road riding there and it’s definitely underrated as a cycling destination
Agreed. Several parts of Portugal could serve that purpose if you like wild climbs. You could do three day trips around Serra da Freita and Serra da Estrela and do two HC climbs a day without the same one twice.
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Re: TransPortugual [Thorax] [ In reply to ]
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I did the serra da estrela granfondo a couple of years ago. By did it I mean bailed out during the last climb to finish at the summit of estrela because I had already done an HC climb called Adamastor and I had some issues cramping due to the low cadence on the HC climb (and my power was drastically different being at elevation when I live at sea level) and by the time I got over that and was going up the final 19k climb it was hot and I was grumpy and not wanting to spend another hour plus on the bike. It was still an epically awesome ride and would love to go back and complete the whole thing. I spent literally 25mins just descending at one point. It really is an underrated destination for cycling
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Re: TransPortugual [347CX] [ In reply to ]
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347CX wrote:
I did the serra da estrela granfondo a couple of years ago. By did it I mean bailed out during the last climb to finish at the summit of estrela because I had already done an HC climb called Adamastor and I had some issues cramping due to the low cadence on the HC climb (and my power was drastically different being at elevation when I live at sea level) and by the time I got over that and was going up the final 19k climb it was hot and I was grumpy and not wanting to spend another hour plus on the bike. It was still an epically awesome ride and would love to go back and complete the whole thing. I spent literally 25mins just descending at one point. It really is an underrated destination for cycling
So yeah, you know how much those two days in a row would "suck". I would sooner go back to the Serra da Estrela Granfondo and do others, the Douro Granfondo, the one in Gerês and if there's one in Serra da Freita do it for sure.
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Re: TransPortugual [Thorax] [ In reply to ]
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One I was eyeballing was the Braganca granfondo on July 12 (and it's relatively flat as far as Portuguese fondos go). Due to my wife's vacation (she's a school administrator who gets the first couple of weeks of July off) we're pretty restricted on timing. Geres actually works best because it's closest to my parents' home (for context our home is near Montalegre and I was able to climb up Larouco) but that's in June. It would be awesome to go set up there for a few weeks and just do repeats on the mountain, I did the segment (cat 2 climb) in 40mins the few times I was able to ride.
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Re: TransPortugual [347CX] [ In reply to ]
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Sounds great man, you're going to have fun for sure. Just hope it's not one of those 40ºC days ;)
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Re: TransPortugual [caffeinatedtri] [ In reply to ]
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I've done it in 2011.
Know several triathletes that have done it.
You won't regret
Absolutely fabulous event.

=====================================
S�rgio Marques
When it hurts is when it feels good ;-)
Sergio-Marques.com
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Re: TransPortugual [sergio] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you for the response. (s)

I am not worried about the endurance part of it. I typically bike in the 6-7K miles a year and have ridden big climbs in Europe. IM splits are comfortably in the 5:20s..BUT, my mtn biking experience is limited. How technical in your recollection was the cycling? The pictures mostly show dirt roads but I am sure there are some areas that are technically challenging.
Any advice on equipment? Some of my mountain bike buddies have said full suspension others say no way, save the weight for endurance type events.

Thanks again, and yeah it looks amazing and I am excited to pull the trigger.
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Re: TransPortugual [caffeinatedtri] [ In reply to ]
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Course is different and has one less stage.
I did it with a Chinese frame front 80mm travel fork and gripshift
I regret it every day.

Im no expert but I would say full suspension for sure

Going through Roman roads screaming with pain still gives me nightmares ;)

I loved it though

=====================================
S�rgio Marques
When it hurts is when it feels good ;-)
Sergio-Marques.com
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