Disaster Strikes the Peloton

Our plan today was to cycle out of Trinidad to a location called the Valle de los Ingenios. To my relief the early morning was relatively cool and overcast, making the morning cycling quite pleasant. After battling our way out of the Trinidad traffic, we were soon coasting along smooth bitumen. Although Lee had promised us a nice easy ride, as usual he was lying. Very soon we started to encounter some lengthy climbs, followed by fast descents. In the near distance we could see a quite impressive mountain range so I hope that we will not be riding anywhere near that in the next couple of days.

Our first stop was at a huge tower. We were told that in Spanish colonial times this was actually the tallest structure in the whole of Cuba. It was built over a period of 14 years by brothers and used as a watchtower to observe the slaves working in the nearby sugar plantations.

After paying a fee of 1 CUC I climbed to the top of the tower to admire the panoramic views and enjoy the fresh cool breeze. On the way up I managed to bash my head several times on the low beams. The shorter members of the team had no such difficulties.

This is obviously a tourist trap, as evidenced by the regular arrival of tourist buses from Trinidad. In order to reach the tower you first had to run the gauntlet of dozens of eager local trying to offload cotton tablecloths and the like. We were surprised when a large tourist train pulled into a small station and disgorged even more people into the fray.

Lee had given instructions that everyone had to be ready to continue the ride at 10:40 am. By around 11 am most of our team had straggled back and we were finally ready to go. The first 15 km or so meant repeating the route we had followed from Trinidad (including riding back up the same hills). At one location we were treated to some lovely cold bananas from the bus and these were eagerly devoured by the group.

We eventually took a left hand fork in the road and started to head towards the beach. It was at this point that things took a terrible turn for the worse. We were not expecting to encounter train tracks, especially not ones that crossed our path at an oblique angle. I was the first rider to encounter the dangerous tracks. My rear wheel slid out alarmingly, but somehow I managed to regain my balance. I immediately called out a warning to those behind me, but it was already too late. I could already hear the shocking sounds of a pelotonic pile up of biblical proportions.

By the time I had stopped and turned around, riders were scattered all over the bitumen. Some were dazed, but apparently OK. One rider had obviously suffered the worst and was lying motionless on the road. This is the worst sight that I could have had. A closer view showed that it was Bob that had crashed the hardest and he was moaning and groaning in pain. My immediate worry was that he had broken his collar bone or dislocated his shoulder. We formed a guard around him to protect him from the hot sun, while Marg (an experienced nurse) checked him over.

We had been told that medical services in Cuba are very good, but we really didn’t want to check this personally. However Bob was in trouble and he needed help. An ambulance was called from the nearby hospital and it arrived about 20 minutes later. By that time Bob had rallied around somewhat and had been able to test that most of his bodily bits were still functioning (or functioning as well as they usually do at his age). The initial shock had also passed and he became more lucid. The ambulance personal performed a few tests and then seemed happy for Bob to be assisted to the bus, instead of heading with them to the hospital.

It really had been a worrying time, but we were all greatly relieved that Bob was OK. Although we love to tease him, Bob is a genuine Ghostrider legend and we adore the guy immensely. He also demonstrated that he is a tough old buzzard and it takes more than a steel railway line to put him down permanently. The other riders who came down had a few cuts and abrasions, but were able to continue the ride.

The remainder of the ride to the beach was completed in rather subdued fashion. We were all conscious of how quickly accidents can occur and we were still somewhat concerned about Bob’s condition. After a couple of hours at the huge resort hotel, it was time to leave. The regular afternoon heat had built up again and I quickly made the decision to quit the ride at that point and sit in the bus for the final 15 km.

When putting this trip together I knew that the heat and humidity was going to play a significant role in how hard each day’s ride was. That was the reason that we organised to have a bus available at all times. I am not sure about the rest of the group, but I came to Cuba to enjoy myself, not to suffer under a blazing sun when I don’t have to. There were about 5 others who also took the smart decision to sit in the bus.

Tonight is our last night at the Casa Particulaire in Trinidad. Although the standard can vary from one hostel to another, I have been very happy with the place we have been allocated and the hosts really have been amazing.

Pictures to follow when we have better Internet accessRead more