I have to say that we were looking forward to todays ride despite the 0430 start. This is mainly because we knew that at the end of it we are having a break for two days.

We are on track for finishing with the following plan:

16-18th Cuevas del Becerro – rest days – much needed after x5 0430hrs starts (and a lot of miles)

19th cycle to Gaucin

20th cycle into Gibraltar 🇬🇮

The main observation from todays ride was the tragic wildfires that are burning in southern Spain (as well as Portugal, France , Croatia, Hungary and Morocco.

You can see the smoke hanging in the early part of the video below. This smoke is drifting from around 70 miles south of us from a village called Mijas near Malaga. The map below shows Gibraltar, the fire in red and our location (blue dot). We could clearly smell the smoke, inhaling this air during physical exertion is not good.

There is zero doubt that climate change is bringing about these extreme heat waves and droughts. As our world burns politicians talk and look at new oil and coal sources. They court the cruel and corrupt Saudi Royals, they renege on promises and fail to hit targets. They personally invest in extraction companies and sit as directors on their boards.

We should be out in the streets demanding immediate action but instead desperate protestors are criminalised by the state and demonised by the press. History will judge. Right now, as I said, the world burns.

The spectacular sunrises we have seen over the last few days are no doubt part due to air bourne particulates. They are beautiful but less so with this in mind.

So here we are in Cuevas del Becerro, it’s a nice place and we have already met some very friendly people. We are resting today but will explore a little more tomorrow.