Now it gets serious, now begin the steep climbs and I confess, with 86 kg is not so easy, here is simply my strength / weight ratio too bad. If I speak of steep, that is then a few kilometers with 10-15% upwards, if there is then times a traverse with 4% comes, that is like otherwise straight ahead.

Das war irgendwie ein komischer Tag, irgendwie ging nichts zusammen, alle fuhren so vor sich hin und ich dachte, was ist denn jetzt los? Womit ich dann zu mir kam und feststellte, dass ich eben auch heute nicht so bei der Sache bin, obwohl ich mir vorgenommen hatte mit dem grünen Frosch meine Spässe zu treiben, damit ich abends was zu erzählen habe. Pfeiffendeckel, alles kommt dann anders.

Merkte ich zuerst nicht, dass ich unbewusst etwas langsamer drann war und mir die kommenden Aufgaben im Kopf schwirrten, realisierte ich eben, dass es den anderen evtl. auch so geht und wir nun ja schon einige Tage unterwegs sind. Ihr kennt das bestimmt vom Skifahren, wo der 3. Tag dann der kritische ist.

So kam ich dann klitschnass, weil zu warm angezogen schon zum Mittagsstopp, ohne recht realisiert zu haben ob und was eigentlich geschehen ist. Klar, es war nichts geschehen, ausser, dass offensichtlich eine Art Normalität eingetreten ist und eben alle so vor  sich hinfuhren. Obwohl ich schon merkte, dass heute eher jeder so ein wenig mit sich selbst beschäftigt ist.

After the midday stop with fresh, dry jersey I resumed the ride and then stood after 100 km suddenly in front of this wall. So, you have to go up there now. So roll up to the wall, smallest gear purely and slowly loosereten and then the Garmin shows equal to 13%, 14%, 15%, 12% further with 11% …

I know that I get used to it, it’s always the first hills that hurt, I also know what I’ve driven everything. But it is always an overcoming to find this mode.

In short, at some point, and not so late, I was then at the top, fed me again and started a beautiful, long descent. Without pedaling I then caught up with some again … they can somehow not quite, lose momentum constantly and of course my 5 kg wheel is a dream.

Meanwhile, there were an incredible number of defects today, constantly I saw one at the roadside change a tire; even a chain break. Then they drive so unfocused that a fall into the soft roadside ditch turns out harmless, thank God. Unfortunately, a German participant is hit by a car, the side stabilizer on the frame broken, police, etc.. Nothing happens and he gets a spare wheel.

Then there are suddenly freaking cops on the side of the road, there you are but very quickly to 50 km / h, just as I suddenly a dog chasing.

I try as always to drive a little smart and look ahead and anticipate, so I obviously manage quite well, because I never get into such situations, so except the one with the dogs. But that’s letter carrier gene.

Here quickly a few photos of the day:

And then came the final climb, altitude profile on the far right, so only a few more km.

It looks like this, there is a warning sign at the bottom, what you can expect, if you want to ride up there with your bike.

Kindly waited here the escort vehicle and you have to signal OK on passing.

Another 1 km, even that is long …

At the top it looks like this, you don’t have to believe that it doesn’t hurt the cracks too.

So in the end we are again 169 km further, all pretty much alive and well and my green frog I still have with me, but in the meantime came ideas on how to deal with the tea bags.

On and on … on and on …