The pilgrim cyclist completes 4,460 kilometers in 29 days despite being hit by a car

 

Arturo Piñeiro is still processing his latest adventure. The pilgrim cyclist from Boiro has spent several years covering long distances from various points in Europe to the Cathedral of Santiago. This time, Istanbul was his starting point on September 14. He arrived at Santiago’s Obradoiro Square last Monday and still had the strength to keep pedaling to Fisterra to watch a spectacular sunset. From there, he began his journey back home, completing a total of 4,460 kilometers.

Not even the accident he suffered midway through the route stopped the adventurous Barbanza native. It happened on September 29, when Arturo Piñeiro was leaving Genoa after chatting with a group of Spaniards who were visiting the city: “A car ran a stop sign and hit me just as I was heading toward San Remo.” He knows this because people later told him—he had lost consciousness at the time and was left lying on the asphalt.

When he came to, the cyclist from Boiro was surrounded by emergency crews and about to be taken by ambulance to a hospital. He refused: “The car must have hit my rear pannier, because the bike was in perfect condition, and since I didn’t have any broken bones, I decided to continue.”

He somehow managed to complete the stage he had planned for that day and shortened the next day’s route after waking up sore: “Even so, I did 125 kilometers in eight hours.” He doesn’t clearly remember much of what happened then: “I just told myself to keep pedaling until I got home.” But at one point he feared the worst: “I sent my location to my friends’ group chat in case something happened to me.”

He eventually recovered enough to enjoy the beautiful views along the French coast, and when he reached Roncesvalles, he felt relieved: “You know you’re home, that you can sleep in the Camino hostels again, and that you won’t have language barriers anymore.”

The Ups and Downs of the Journey

As with his previous adventures, Arturo Piñeiro set out from Boiro without booking any accommodation in advance, finding a place to sleep each day: “I had the usual setbacks with some lodging locations, but people were very kind and helped me when I needed it.”

Along the route, he was struck by the poverty he encountered in Serbia and Bulgaria, contrasting sharply with Slovenia: “It’s a green country with stunning forests and very developed, with endless bike paths.”

After reaching the Obradoiro and receiving his Compostela, the cyclist from Boiro headed for Fisterra: “I’d wanted to do it for a long time, but I always arrived in Santiago exhausted. This time, since the weather was good, I extended the trip and enjoyed an incredible sunset.”

From the westernmost tip of Galicia, on Tuesday he set off once again on his bike toward Boiro. He rode that final stretch reflecting on all he had experienced, more convinced than ever that setting this challenge for himself had been the right choice: “I know it may sound hard to understand, but I wouldn’t trade these holidays for the best cruise in the world or the most luxurious hotel. This is how I find peace and truly disconnect from an increasingly stressful society.”

He completed his final kilometers surrounded by members of the Barbanza Cycling Club, including several children. For Arturo Piñeiro, being an example to them is the best reward for all his effort over the past month.

Unlike in previous years, when he returned to Boiro already thinking about his next challenge, this time he hasn’t yet decided what adventure he’ll take on next September. He’s torn between getting back on the bike somewhere in Europe or pursuing his new passion for mountain running by joining a 350-kilometer race in the Alps: “I’d love to take part—and at my age, time is ticking.”

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