Stage 6 - Breaks VA, 70mi (113km)

Wooded descent towards Hayters Cap

Today was a great day which, from the weather perspective, started with fog and ended with blue sky. I cycled a hilly stage of 70mi (113km) to the edge of Virginia, climbing Clinch Mountain and Big A Mountain towards Breaks. Before I reached Clinch Mountain, there was a lovely wooded descent to the North Fork Holston River and a flattish section past Hayters Gap.

The climb itself turned out to be not too bad, long but steady. I felt my legs from yesterdays challenging ride in the poring rain.

Climb to Clinch

Downhill from Clinch

On the top of the hill the sky in a sudden cleared up and it felt like 'Heaven on Earth' on my skin.

Surprisingly, I did not encounter any dog chases, but this will become more frequent as I enter Kentucky tomorrow. I have met Dan from LA today, who is riding from West to East – he is almost done. I look forward to see him again up in D.C. as he will be moving there. However, he told me some bad stories about dogs chasing him on the eastern part of Kentucky and I am glad carrying on pepper spray.

Well, after the decent of Clinch Mountain I enjoyed a smooth ride towards Rosedale over over a hill to Honaker. Several stretches have moderate to heavy coal truck traffic and coal sometimes fall off these rigs. Today two trucks on following each other passed me with full speed on a downhill section, and I underestimated the power of the wind suction and will have to handle this better by controlling my speed to hold against it. 

Downhill A Mountain

Then Big A Mountain was the second big hill ride today. However, Big A was shorter than Clinch and mostly a gentler gradient but the descent on the other side was steeper. That decent was very refreshing as the temperature today was in the upper 70’s. 


The road was mostly downhill now for a long way, as far as Haysi – a real roller coaster and I compensated some time which I needed on the long climbs.

The last 9miles to Breaks were hilly again and I was very released when I reached the Motel.

View from last hill before
descent to Breaks

After a shower, and preparing my gear for tomorrow I went for a coffee, salad and a cold coke and for dinner I enjoyed a delicious pizza. All in all it was a good riding day, great sunshine. Several drivers gave me friendly toots and waves and people working in their gardens shouted ‘good luck and stay save’.