Finally, an (almost) rain-free day. There was a brief spell of drizzle right at the start, which we waited out for a moment—likely one of the reasons the morning briefing took place in the underground garage.

We had some clouds, a bit of wind, and later, plenty of sunshine – along with a bit more wind. But at least it stayed dry, making another long stage enjoyable. Even though the ride had to be interrupted shortly after the start because a team member has lost something – well, things happen.

And something that really stood out to me in a positive way: we conquered the day’s steepest climb together. It wasn’t particularly long, but it was a tough one. Today really highlighted the benefits of some extra training and our improved teamwork. Today offered plenty of beautiful scenery – the kind you notice more readily in good weather than in the rain. We might well have missed a few things here and there over the past few days. For instance more sunshine. 😉

A highlight was the velodrome in Bielefeld, where the support association gave us a warm welcome. Anyone who wanted to could even ride a few laps.

Another highlight was our second stop, simply because of its name: Stromberg. It prompted more than just a few puns based on the TV show Stromberg. For those not familiar with it, “Stromberg” was a German TV series taking place in a fictional insurance company where a weird department head showed his weird his partly humour.

However, I also took the opportunity to have a quick video call with my Kenyan sweetheart and introduce her to some of our team members. Sharon will be joining us on the road next year. 😍

After Stromberg, we made relatively quick progress toward the finish line. In fact, we had been moving along quite briskly ever since leaving Stromberg.

While stopped at a traffic light in Beckum – right by the German-Turkish Cultural Association- it struck me just how much immigration there is in the Ruhr region (and the surrounding area), and surely a fair amount of integration work going on, too. That’s how I’d interpret it, anyway.

It was helpful – so I felt – to have been here before and to already know the route into the city (Dortmund) in particular; it allowed me to assist the group along the relatively long and not always easy path through town. I thought the guy ahead of us was pretty cool: he was hauling his e-scooter in a bike trailer- using an E-bike. Just one of those little anecdotes you pick up on a ride like this.

All’s well that ends well. We arrived safely in Dortmund and received a warm welcome. After two and a half days of nasty weather, it was high time to clean the bike. 😉 Speaking of cleaning, the gear needs washing regularly, too. It’s not just about displaying the current sponsors on the jerseys; nobody wants to lug around a week’s worth of fresh clothes (even if the luggage is being transported in a support vehicle).

And as always, I never tire of highlighting the good cause involved. Simply put, we are raising funds for the German Childhood Cancer Foundation (Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung), which in turn supports local projects, affected families, and cancer research.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has supported my personal campaign, “Cash for Kilometer,” and – by extension the German Childhood Cancer Foundation. I encourage everyone else to do some good as well. I am riding not only for myself and the families affected, but also on behalf of everyone who is backing my efforts to help others. You can find the details on how and where to get involved right here.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing and supporting!

Last but not least:

Map of the day, stage three: Hameln to Dortmund

Statistic of the day: