Manzanilla

Hopefully the riders on this section haven’t gone overboard tasting Bordeaux’s famous wine varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot & Malbec – before spinning south along the Atlantic Coast. They will enjoy spend a couple nights enjoying the surf and sprawling beaches before crossing into Spain. In San Sebastian the riders can enjoy one of the city’s famous beach sunsets before a challenging ride to a rest day in Bilbao. Once a rough and tumble industrial town, the city is now famous for its incredible architecture including the iconic Museo Guggenheim, designed by the legendary Canadian architect, Frank Gehry. Three more hilly stages bring the riders to Oviedo, capital of Asturias region, for a welcome rest day.

After exploring the city’s medieval old town, the riders will head west along the rugged coastline before turning south towards the incomparable Santiago de Compostela, the end of the epic walking trail, the Camino de Santiago. A rest day allows the cyclists to explore the famous cathedral before they continue their journey south into Portugal. They will pass through the historic religious centre of Braga before arriving in Porto, perched at the mouth of the Douro River. Here the riders will be able to sample some of the city’s famous port wines and explore its historic centre. The route heads south and passes through Portugal’s former capital, Coimbra, now a lively university town, before arriving in Lisbon and the end of this last section.

Highlights

• Museo Guggenheim in Bilbao
• Santiago de Compostela
• Porto
• Lisbon