Entering The Furnace !

If we thought we were in for an easy first day we could not have been more wrong !

We started sedately enough as we rolled out of bed just on 5a.m.. Once Henley got off the floor we packed and got ready for our 5.30 a.m.departure. 

Leaving Tirana provided a few glimpses of a pretty austere looking countryside while giving our asses a nice shake up on a rapidly deteriorating road. Stopping for morning Tea Pommie Kev swapped his customary pint for an ice coffee sending shivers in hostelirie share prices, while H fondled a nearby basket of apples before realising that they were not ours ! Venturing further north we entered a national park of sorts before finally arriving at Komani Lake where the parking space for cars emerging from the tunnel and about to board the ferry resembled a car park version of rubiks cube !

En route - Pommie Kev without beer in hand !

Lake Komani's 5 storey (not) car park !

Finally underway with our support van and a bike trailer on board we relaxed for 3+ hours taking in this beautiful Lake in parts not disimilar to a Norwegian Fjiord !

Beautiful Komani Lake !

The two Kevs !

From here on the story goes a bit vague ! Disembarking from the ferry we donned our cycling gear and checked over our bikes with Henley wisely deciding to delay his entry back into the ring ! 

I must have hallucinated for the next 3+ hours because all I can recall is having visions of cycling up steep sand dunes in the Gobi desert ! Hot was not the word with an air temperature of 39c and a road temperature of 40+c. Riding the flat (what little there was) was torturous let along the agony of long stretches of 10% roads (do they only have 1 road sign in Albania - as all seemed to read 10%.!)

We're set to go !

The view back down our climb !

Most riders struggled with the heat (me included) and I took every opportunity I could to grab handfuls of ice cold water from running streams in order to cool down one big overheating engine !

Mike's melting !

Somehow we all made it to our destination some 40kms distant (most absolutely knackered) racing for multiple ice cold drinks ! Thomo's training in the lava fields in Hawaii seemed to have done him well while both Kiwi and Pommie Pete's efforts were outstanding with both not having to once produce their senior cards for special treatment !

A special mention to Julia also for even trying and while she may have spent a bit of time in the support bus her effort was inspiring - I'm at sure at one stage when passing i heard her muttering "If you think you're taking me on another hard core cycle trip you're ...."- in preparation for her assault on Pommie Kev when she caught up with him !

The next two days provide a little respite in heat but bugger all in terms of distance and climbing ! A late starter he may be but the current word is that Henley will throw caution to the winds and get on the bike tomorrow providing he gets out of bed safely !

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