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  Juan Bautista Erice-Adarraga

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   Juan Bautista was a first cousin of the Adarraga brothers and joined them in their sporting activities. Again, like all of them he would attempt anything and then settle for a few.

   He was outstanding in several athletic track modalities but his favorite sport became pole vaulting and won in this modality the Spanish championship from 1920 to 1924.

   His family lived in Bilbao. The Adarraga brothers would now and then cycle all the way to Bilbao (119 km) to visit them. They were always received with unpleasant comments like “You don’t have anything better to do than to cycle on those dirty roads all the way from Hernani. Any day you are going to have an accident or you will collapse on the road.  You are mad”  

    To avoid the unpleasant reception, the following stratagem occurred to my father and proposed it to his brothers. Next time Juan Bautista comes to Hernani we will invite him to join us on the ride to Bilbao. Then let’s see what our aunt has to say. Effectively the day Erice turn up in Hernani his brothers asked him to join them on their ride to Bilbao. Juan Bautista wasn’t as confident as his brothers on a bicycle as to ride all the way on those primitive roads, but being a good sport accepted the challenge.

    According to my father, my uncle did pretty well and as they were finally crossing the Bilbao Streets towards his home, he was getting all excited for having completed the ride. The brothers let Juan Bautista ring the bell at his home, while they waited just behind. When his mother saw him so dirty and exhausted asked him what had happen to him. He explained the he had ridden all the way from Hernani and apart from a bit tired, he felt great. His mother could not believe him. She repeated, “Did you ride all the way from Hernani?” Isn’t that great! Congratulations my son, come inside and invite in your cousins in. We have to celebrate!

    My father closed the story by saying that in future they were never received like mad people but as outstanding cyclists. That is life!

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