A significant change in weather conditions today painted a very different picture from yesterday's wet stage. Not much rain, overcast in the early morning and clear in the afternoon, in an otherwise fresh and windy Spring day.

 

Despite the fairer weather, after yesterday's stage a replenishing and restful night was very important, possibly determining the success in today's easier stage.

 

The official starting time was at 10h00, with the first athletes pedaling at 09h06m into a dramatic scenery of rock and steep cliffs, that amazed those who saw it, or rather felt it, for the first time. The Calçada de Alpajares plunged the racers down from an altitude of 700m (2290 ft) at the village of Poiares to 200m after a rapid paved downhill that lead to the precipice.

 

At the first control point (CP), at the top, on the other end of Alpajares, David Rawlinson (RSA), Kate Aardal (NOR) and Robert Jackson (RSA) were leading a long succession of riders marching down and up the cliffs, looking like small lycra dressed ants in the distance. Among them, Vitor Gamito (POR) was closing in fast, gaining positions.

 

After the record low of 150m (490 ft) altitude at the crossing of the river Douro, Barca D'Alva (km 18), it could only go up. Passing the uphill known as the "oven", scorching when in Summer, racers would get to Castelo Rodrigo (km 38), towering at 800m (2620 ft). After that, a relatively flat and rolling section would lead TransPortugal Garmin Race into the fortified village of Almeida.

 

At this point (km 63, with some 45km to go), Vitor was already riding in first position, some 3 min ahead of Kate and 8 min ahead of Henry Hayes (RSA). Behind them, 8 min after Henry, Kaj Slenter (NED), Marco Macedo (POR) and Christophe De Clerck (BEL) gave chase, leading a spaced sequence of several other riders, with strong and constant paces.

It seemed it was Day 1's basic rider's configuration all over again.

 

The route was slowly turning West, heading for Guarda, with the Estrela Mountain Range appearing for the first time in the horizon.

 

At the last CP, in Pinzio, with 20km still to go, Vitor's advantage was set at 14 min ahead of both Kate and Henry, but something was moving strong behind them. Marco Macedo and Rui Anjos (POR) were riding hard, leaving De Clerck a bit behind and especially Kaj, who eventually lost some minutes in the last section of the race, while still holding at the top 10.

 

At that CP it was already evident that "one of the easiest" stage of the race was proving to be harder to finish. Steven Williams (USA), aching from his back, was close to giving up, as he confided us on the last CP. He eventually made it, as did many others on the last 20km of the route, putting in that extra effort and pain, which we believe is a trademark of the TransPortugal Garmin Race.

 

Vitor Gamito (POR) finished 1st, but actually saw his previous advantage of some 15 min, being reduced to less than 12 min, by Marco Macedo (POR) coming 2nd and Rui Anjos (POR) in 3rd, practically together at the finish line. Henry Hayes (RSA) finished 4th, less than a minute from them.

 

Christophe De Clerck (BEL), in 5th, finished less than 5 min after Henry and less than a minute before Kate Aardal (NOR), who finished in 6th place, therefore dropping 4 positions in those tough last 20km.

 

Daniel Hoedemaekers (NED) was another last section tough rider, rising to a finishing 7th place, 11 min after Kate and just some seconds before Kaj Slenter (NED), in 8th place.

João Mesquita (POR) in 9th and José Pereira (POR) in 10th, closed the top 10 of Day 2.

 

Congratulations to all, without exceptions, for another great stage!

 

Now that two days have passed and two stages have been raced, are there any patterns forming up from the middle-rows of the result's tables? This race is not only about the top 10, but rather the top 60. There are more numbers for us to look at, and we'll be searching for some lava rising from the 60 strong magma of TransPortugal Garmin Race 2012.

 

DAY 3 – GUARDA TO UNHAIS DA SERRA

 

Tomorrow, TransPortugal Garmin Race 2012 will have its mountain stage, with two peaks of 1600m (5250 ft). Even though total climb is inferior to that of the first stage, it features a couple of super climbs, and ensuing downhill, all more than 10km long.

 

Estrela Mountain Range, or just Serra da Estrela in Portuguese, is the highest in continental Portugal, reaching almost 2000m (6560 ft), and should provide for breathtaking views, probably the best in the race. Keep also in mind that we will be crossing a Natural Park for the best part of the route.

 

Weather up there can be tricky and change very rapidly. Low temperatures, rain and fog are easily expectable at the highest peaks. Even at a distance, patches of snow were visible today, high in the mountain in the horizon, as we approached Guarda.

 

The cherry on top of the cake? The H2otel at the end. Absolutely fitting for yet another "hardest stage" of TransPortugal Garmin Race 2012.