‘I will suffer’ – Ronaldo kicks off gruelling four-day, 280-mile bike trip to fulfil promise after Valladolid promotion
LEGENDARY striker Ronaldo has begun a gruelling 280-mile bike trip after Valladolid secured promotion back to La Liga.
The Brazilian icon had promised the feat if the Spanish side ever secured promotion back to Spain’s top division.
Ronaldo purchased a 51% stake in the side in 2018, who were relegated to the second tier following the 2020/21 season.
However, a second placed finish at the first time of asking secured ‘Pucela’s’ promotion back to the big leagues, leading Ronaldo to have to stick to his word.
He said: “I promised that if we came back [to La Liga], I would do the Camino de Santiago.
“I will do it by bike as I can’t run. My wife and I will leave from Valladolid on Sunday and travel to Santiago de Compostela by bicycle.
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“It will be beautiful,” he told Spanish media. “I know that I will suffer physically but it will be an unforgettable experience.”
The bike ride, which will take the former Galactico four days to complete, began at the club’s stadium in Northwest Spain.
He and his wife are expected to travel seven dozen kilometres a day along the famous route, which leads to a famous shrine in that Northwest region of the country.
The former striker scored 62 goals for the Brazilian national team, topped only by Pele and Neymar, while also scoring the second most goals in World Cup finals.
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And while his career was shortened due to injury, the 45-year-old still managed to scoop up two Ballon d’Or awards in 1997 and 2002.
The Brazilian also has a controlling stake in Cruzeiro, the club where he started his professional career with in 1993.