Stage 1 - From Bayonne to Pamplona: A Ride to Remember

Hard data of the day 

Day: Sunday 10 May 2026
From: Bayonne
To: Pamplona

#kilometers: 125 km
#Altitude: 1,710 m
#Max gradient: 22%
#Wind: Strong headwind
#Weather: Heavy rainfall in the final 5 km into Pamplona

Hero of the day

Ine N.

Trivia of the day

Donald N. receives the trivia of the day for scientifically proving that starting cold is actually smart.

Story of the day

Let me first start by welcoming our two new joiners, Thomas C. and Cliff V.. In the past we organized a ritual, we asked the new joiners to swear under oath loyalty to the community of the cycling partners group. The ritual ended with a wrist cut and the mingle of the blood. We no longer perform this ritual because we noticed that some partners were starting to adopt Philippe D.'s habits. 

Last night after dinner I really felt what a professional reporter must feel. I entered the elevator and everyone stopped talking, being afraid of becoming the next topic mentioned in the blog. This was a  new experience for me because in the past it was quite the opposite as people would do everything even risk their lives to become a subject of admiration in the blog. So today I decided to ask a mole amongst the partner group to become my backup in case something would happen to me. Of course I will not disclose the name of the fellow partner. 

Again at the dinner table last night age, aging and even midlife crisisses were the discussion points. Counteraction physical deteriorating, injuries treatment and medical prevention will become key in the approach of the partner cycling events.

Sofie VB suggested core stability exercises based on the famous poweryoga approach. Caroline C. promised her on-bike live training show ‘dancing on the pedals’ to improve pelvic stability. She succeeded in a briljant way, she even wore her fluo outfit to accentuate her moves. 

Another point of attention and even stress is the choice of adequate clothing at the start of the ride. Donald N. gave the advice that having cold is the best way to start. Donald’s well meant advices of previous years in mind I checked this statement from a scientific point of view.

So let me ask to the group, is Donald’s statement true or not?Well, It is true, I admit I was somewhat biased. Let me summarize the scientific evidence. 

Cyclists best start a race in cool or slightly cold conditions, rather than feeling warm when they first move. The optimal approach is to feel a little chilly for the first 5–10 minutes, allowing the body’s effort to heat up the rider without causing excessive sweating and subsequent overheating.

Why Start Cold?

Prevent Overheating: Overdressing leads to heavy sweating, which can soak clothing and cause severe chilling later.

Increased Intensity: Race intensity generates significant body heat, often much higher than training, making lighter clothing necessary.

Avoid Moisture Accumulation: Sweat traps moisture against the skin, and wet skin cools 25 times faster than dry skin.

Best Start Strategies

Layer Up & Shed: Wear extra layers during the warm-up and at the start line, such as a throwaway jacket, leg warmers, or a vest, removing them just before the race starts.

Focus on Core/Wind Protection: Wear a windproof vest or gilet to protect the chest, which can be easily unzipped or packed away.

Use Arm/Knee Warmers: These are easily removed or adjusted if the temperature rises during the race.

So, If you feel completely comfortable while standing still before a race, you are likely wearing too much clothing and will be too hot once you start riding hard, thank you Donald for this advice.

Today’s ride was a real beauty, cruising through the Pyrenees is really breathtaking. The undulating track, where the headwind was only bothersome for the frontriders, suddenly transformed into a demanding mountain challenge with slopes of up to 22%. A second challenge was to keep the loose stallions under control.

After a steep climb the proud stallions were waiting at the top of the hill to watch the slightly lesser gods with a gleeful look upon their arrival just a littelbit later. At one of the steep climbs of today’s ride Ine N. arrived on the top just a little bit later than the first bunch. She said, sorry that I’m a bit later because during the climb I took the time to digest the beauty of the climb and the landscape. Congrats Ine, you are the hero of the day.

A few rider were confronted with a flat battery of the electric gears. They tried to convince the team, they charged their gear batteries at home, but probably during the transportation of the bike the shifting of the electric gears occurred automatically. Nice try guys.

I am very glad that logical thinking is still an asset of our lawyers, let me explain. Caroline C. told me that even on my new bike I still ride my bike in an ergonomic position, quite strongly bent over. The conversation was overheard by Stijn D. who added to Caroline that she also takes on that same ergonomic position on her bike. Caroline responded that this is only the case when she uses her drop handlebars. Stijn’s mastermind concluded that Caroline always uses her drop handlebars.

Another asset of our lawyers is active listening and acting upon demand. In the absence of my previous on bike reporter Koen VD David R. entrusted me an important message that had escaped my attention. Some riders of the class of 2008 had encountered some difficulties during an attack of the aforementioned stallions. In an altruistic manner a fellow partner sacrificed himself to bring back the released ones to the bunch of riders, thanks a lot Tom W., you are a real example of what cycling partnership is about.

As I have already mentioned before I noticed some excess of testosterone in this bunch of riders. I know, it’s not always easy to get rid of it. I had a discussion with our organizing team and we concluded we need to solve this problem. So, prior to tomorrow’s ride, In collaboration with the municipality of pamplona, we will organize a bull run and drop those testosterone bombs in front of the bulls.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s gentle ride.