pedElle 2026 - Day 2
Friday 5th June: Ronda to Ronda loop
Sometimes even the best laid plans go awry. And today was, without any doubt, that day. pedElle 2026 - the Spanish adventure - had already more than lived up to its description before the riders had even got to lunch, with two road closures and a local alternative route consisting entirely of very dusty gravel and sand (not easy on a road bike, in case you were wondering).
Shortly after lunch in Olvera - a beautiful whitewashed town with a Moorish cathdral perched high above it - the day's third road closure was overcome by some creative rearrangement of road barriers, but the day's next obstacle proved simply too much for the intrepid pedEllers: the road had been washed away in a flood, so it was a climb back up the descent they had just come down. After re-routing via a very hot and relentless main road, with temperatures soaring and nothing in the way of shade, the group made its way back to the scheduled route.
Throughout all the challenges that the day threw at them, the group has remained cheery, supportive and full of humour - but it was a relief for all to make it back safely to Ronda slightly later than anticipated, having completed 114kms and almost 2,000m of climbing. An unbelievable day by an incredible group - well done all.
pedElle 2026 is raising funds for Coram and its Adoption Services, which support families before, during and after adoption – providing support every step of the way, for life. You can support them here.
