Sierra de Guadarrama Sweep

A 245 km loop

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Why this ride

A proper escape from Madrid with roads worth waking up for. 245 km round from San Sebastián de los Reyes - plan on about 5 h 07 of riding. It goes by way of Scenic stretch in Daganzo de Arriba, near Ciempozuelos and Getafe. in Campo Real is the high point. It tops out at about 1,300 m. The line favours views over speed.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near San Sebastián de los Reyes fuel

   Fuel at 0 km.

2. Scenic stretch in Daganzo de Arriba scenic

   Scenic stretch in Daganzo de Arriba comes up 35 km in.

3. High point in Campo Real pass

   This is where the road stops climbing.

4. Photo stop near Ciempozuelos photo

   Photo stop near Ciempozuelos, about halfway.

5. Near Getafe finish

   Back at Sierra de Guadarrama Sweep checkpoint 8.

6. Food stop near Navalcarnero food

   Navalcarnero has one of the finest arcaded squares in the Madrid region, the Plaza de Segovia, with wooden balconies, stone columns and a lively atmosphere on market days. The town has royal connections too: in the seventeenth century, King Philip IV's wedding to Mariana of Austria was celebrated here, and the house where the event took place is still pointed out. Today it is a busy market town on the southwestern edge of the Madrid metropolitan area.

   The surrounding countryside is dry and open, with fields of cereals, olive groves and vineyards. Navalcarnero is one of the subzones of the Vinos de Madrid appellation, and the local wines, robust reds and some whites, can be tasted in bodegas in the area. In summer, the heat is intense, and the landscape turns golden brown under a blazing sky; in winter, mornings can be cold and frosty.

   The riding around Navalcarnero is a mix of fast main roads and quieter rural routes. The A-5 motorway towards Extremadura is fast but dull, while the minor roads towards the Alberche valley and the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos are much more enjoyable, with curves and changes in elevation. The reservoirs around San Martín de Valdeiglesias are a popular destination for Madrid riders on weekends.

   Navalcarnero has plenty of fuel stations, supermarkets and restaurants, so it is a good place to stop before heading into the countryside. Local bars serve tapas and traditional Castilian dishes, such as roast lamb and stews. After this stop the ride heads east towards the Alto Tajo, a wild gorge area far from the city, where the landscape and the riding change completely.

7. Near Guadarrama, on the way back swim
8. Back to Sierra finish

   These are tidy, prosperous commuter towns with business parks, wide roads and a lot of roundabouts. Tres Cantos was a planned new town of the 1970s, a bit of an experiment in suburban living, and it has more green space than you might expect, thanks to the surrounding Monte de Viñuelas and woodland.

   San Sebastián de los Reyes has the real local colour. At the end of August, the town holds its famous fiestas with bull running through the streets, the encierros, which compete with Pamplona in popularity for those who like their Spanish traditions loud and slightly dangerous. The rest of the year it is calmer, a town of low houses and a small old centre around the parish church, where you can find a good coffee and a decent plate of eggs and potatoes. Alcobendas is bigger and more corporate, home to the offices of many international firms.

   The reason this makes a finish for a Sierra de Guadarrama ride is geographic. The A-1 motorway leads north from here toward the Somosierra pass and the mountain wall that separates Madrid from Castile, and on a clear day you can see the snowy ridges from the car parks of the shopping centres. That means when you come back from a day in the hills, the last bit is straightforward and quick, a fast run down off the sierra with lorries in the right lane and plenty of space to settle into. Fuel is no problem here, with several large stations and a reliable supply of cafés.

   The only caution is the evening commute. Traffic backs up on the A-1 and the M-607 on weekdays, and weekend returns from the mountains are just as heavy, so a slightly early or late finish pays off. In the quiet of the hour after the rush, the sky over the sierra turns a soft violet, and the last twenty kilometres feel like a gentle wind-down.

Where this sits

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