CP9 Caín de Valdeón 23.08 @ 3.48AM Julien & I have been staying close, bumping into each other occasionally, but this day open the gap. I am starting under a light & depressing rain. I will not leave the big road, the traffic is nuts around Arriondas, it had been terrible enough since Oviende. I feel mentally exhausted from the traffic & the noise, and I hate myself for that weakness, because my legs are actually pretty good. I fight to get into a better mood but nothing. I stop too many times. A tenant in a bar tells me to go freshen up before I even ask for the bathroom. At least I got a dotwatcher cheering loud from the side of the road, he is given me a big smile for 30 min. When the road becomes quiet again, and the rain stops, I am feeling better but now the body is tired & I lost time. Because of the rain, my chain is squeaking again ; that is when a bike shop finds me again (pic). That's better. The CP is a dead end, all the way down after a crazy climb snaking between rocks. My GPS is getting crazy. I remember the bad fairies, hallucinations from the 3PBR, I keep my head cold and follow the road, whatever the GPS says. He's lost, I am not. This is the last time I cross paths with Julien, he is in front of me now, going in the opposite direction. When I reach the CP, I have no energy to turn back as he did. I know I will have to push my bike to go up again on 15k. I sleep right there, on a restaurant bench next to the river. It is obviously humid, I know about it, but I can't go any further.