L’lle-Rousse to Macinaggio

Boiling hot today and a long ride of 75 miles in total with a couple of decent climbs and lumpy roads throughout. This ride hugs the coast and they are always up and down as you go down to the coastal villages and back up out again. But it’s gonna be spectacular…

We head out of L’lle-Rousse and make our way to the D81 turn off just after Monetta for the first climb of the day up to the Bocca di Vezzu viewpoint. And what a view! In front we look down on the glistening ocean way below us, behind the mountains we tackled over the last few days.

It’s only a short 3 mile haul to the top but the heat is punishing and the lads need water already. It’s cooler up here on the top in the sea breeze but on the climbs the sun is brutal with barely a hint of breeze!

We descend towards St. Florent at speed and shortly after take the turn that will take us to the Cap Corse area, the northern most point of Corsica.

It’s a tough ride for the lads in the heat but with unbelievable views as compensation and we make Nonza for lunch in reasonable time. And what a place this is with houses clinging to the cliffs and a castle turret at the highest point.

(By the way…on route we’re passed by a nut job in small lorry who overtakes us on a totally blind bend. This guys in a hurry… a hurry to wipe someone out!)

After much needed refreshment at Nonza we push on towards Centuri and it’s another narly winding section as the road hugs the cliff side. Up and down we go as Spenna and I chase down Coxy and Roly who are up at the front. We’ve passed all the lads but don’t reach them almost before the turn off down into Centuri-Port. We decide not to go down as it would mean another climb back out for the lads and in this heat, that’s the last thing they need, so we push on towards the summit…

100 yards on and the lorry loony is haring up behind us again and blasts past both the car and the riders on the next two blind bends. WTF!!!! He must have stopped somewhere when we did and now he’s out again on his suicide mission.

We get up to the summit just past Centuri in time to get some photos of Coxy and Roly as they arrive and then wait for the rest of the lads who arrive shortly after. After topping up on water they all head down to Macinaggio and the digs.

Me and Spenna remain at the top and wait for John and have a snack at the cafe. John’s not long behind and we head down. On route we are stopped by about about 100 goats coming up the road. We push through them very gingerly as I don’t want the buggers butting the car like they are each other!

Hopefully they’ll be gone before John gets here but if the lorry loony’s out and about again John’s could be eating goat stew al fresco!!

The lads are now down in the marina for eats. Not been down there yet but Coxy says it’s amazing so at half-time, Portugal v Spain I’ll head down there. Don’t worry it’s on in the hotel bar and the beer here is pretty damn good… nice lady behind the bar as well 😉