TransPortugal Garmin Bike Race

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Into the Alentejo

Louize Hill /Agnelo Quelhas / 04.06.2009

The fourth stage of the TransPortugal Garmin continues southwards, crossing the river Tejo in Vila Velha de Rodão and climbing into the Alentejo region. Once again, while Kate Prusack, the rider with the highest handicap in the system the TransPortugal Garmin race uses to level the playing field left Ladoeiro at 8:50, the start time for those racers with no handicap was at 10:00. Although it was warm by this time, it was no where as hot as previous days and there were even a few hazy clouds in the sky. During the day the wind picked up and temperatures dropped.

The first part of the stage is predominantly flat, with just a few ups and downs and very fast, all the way to Vila Velha de Ródão where the course crosses the river Tejo before a short climb on the road, and then follows a track that continues to climb on the bank of the river and then up to the village of Salavessa. This is the first village in the Alentejo, which has a very distinct architecture style of white houses with colored borders around the windows.

Several riders pulled out at the second check point just before the bridge. A combination of accumulated tiredness from the previous stages and concern that they wouldn\'t make it to the next check point.

Following Salavessa the course undulates with some short sharp hills and then flattens out until close to Castelo de Vide. Like so many stages in the race, this one finished with a climb into a castle. The climb into Castelo de Vide is on a steep medieavel cobblestone hill that finished with steps right into the castle door – not good when you are exhausted from over 100 km of riding!See All Event Posts