Cyclists, like all professional athletes, tend to live inside a big bubble during the season. When you’re in this bubble, sometimes the rest of the world doesn’t seem real. I have been fortunate enough to have a long career, 14 years so far, and I love riding my bike. However, it’s also difficult to be away from home for 200 days each year. Recently, I was with an old friend, a former sprinter, who told me: “There is another life – apart from the cycling”. Sometimes, I want to live that life. I think it’s very important to get away for a while, to see and experience new things that don’t have anything to do with cycling.
After a long and hard season in 2016, I went on a road trip with my wife in the US to explore the famous Route 66. We rented a car and spent nearly one month on the road. We went to see the Grand Canyon and many other beautiful places. Originally, we wanted to go in a Mustang but we ended up with some Japanese car, which wasn’t really that good. We had a problem with one of the tires, so every morning we had to use a little machine to pump it.
When you go on Route 66 it’s just straight out, straight out and straight out. It can be a bit boring so we also went on some small, nasty roads. This is when you really feel like you’re on an adventure. I like to go into survival mode and not just spend time in big hotels. I prefer to sleep in a tent and tackle the different conditions.
Every morning when we woke up, we never knew where we were going to sleep the following night. We always looked for the cheapest places but that didn’t mean they were the worst places. At the end, it was only for sleeping. The next morning, we would continue to another place. It’s a bit of a nomad life, going to a new place every day.
Setting up tent for the night in the Yosemite Park. Photo: Igor Antón, private.
Driving through the states, you realize how different they each are. The climate, the people and also the speed limits. Still, they are all very American with tall buildings and terrible food. The meals are really bad with all the fat and the many calories. It’s definitely not the best for your health – or for being a cyclist. I gained some weight but luckily not too much. We were always busy doing something every day.
One of the best days was when we slept in a tent in the Yosemite Park and made our own BBQ dinner. It’s cheaper than going to a restaurant and since you’re your own chef, the quality of the food is up to you. We had a good meal. At least much better than those hamburgers and potatoes they all eat over there. Always hamburgers, no matter where you look.
“These kinds of trips are a bit like riding a Grand Tour. Even though the distance is long, there is always a finishing line”.
Overall, we really had a great time in the US. Even with my bad English, we always managed to solve the situations we ended up in. Luckily, we never had any problems with the police despite the changing speed limits.
Looking back, these kinds of trips are a bit like riding a Grand Tour. Even though the distance is long, there is always a finishing line. Route 66 is really, really long but it does have an end. Finishing was a bit like completing a Giro d’Italia, a Tour de France or a Vuelta a España. You have gone through so many emotions, experienced so much and created so many memories than when you finally finish, you’re like “Puff! What a rush!” You also feel a little sad that it’s all over.
On top of the world in Grand Canyon. Photo: Igor Antón, private.
When you come back from a trip like this, you really appreciate your country and your home again. It feels amazing to be back and you value the everyday tasks much more.
Last year, I had a different winter and a different Christmas since it was the first one with our daughter. However, we still went on a little trip of 1000 km in the car from our home in the Basque Country to the south of Spain.
In the future, I would like to take two or three months out of the calendar and go somewhere like South American to explore. I like the freedom of staying outside. When you do these things, you really feel alive.
Now, I’m looking forward to getting on with the new season. Thank you for reading. I hope this may have inspired you to go on a new adventure of your own!
Last modified: Jan 20, 2020
