The home made carts of the Penela area once again took to the track to prove how brave or mad the people of central Portugal really are. This is a repeat performance from 2008 – which we also took pictures of and can be seen here.
Starting around 3pm on Sunday afternoon the event was a great success. We found out about it from the posters put up in the local cafes. The event is free to watch and we would recommend anyone who wants to be part of the local community to attend.
On a steep section of road some kilometers long, the home made carts were taken up to the starting position high above Espinhal and timed on their downward run through many twists and turns. Many crashed before the end, but for the brave few who skidded past the chequered flag at the finish and crashed headlong into the hay bales and old tyres at the T junction of the Espinhal/Relvas road.
The first contestants were moving very fast, close to the ground not on home made carts but on large wheeled skateboards. They looked more like scooters with the handlebars cut off. They certainly did go fast, that is until they cam to the end of the race and went tumbling into the bales.
Some of the home made cart drivers used too much brake on the sharp bends and went spinning down the track out of control. Others lost a wheel or simply couldn’t turn fast enough and went flying off the road.
Great fun for the spectators of which there were about 400!
For more information on the areas mentioned here, you can search for Espinhal or Relvas at Coimbra Property Shop and see the available properties for sale and renovation in Central Portugal.
