A short leg today – relatively speaking – and packed with some real highlights. We started in Sittard, that small town on the German-Dutch border – actually located in the Netherlands. It is effectively a strip of land wedged between Belgium and Germany. After seven kilometers, we crossed the Meuse River on a small ferry. I believe it was even free of charge, if I understood correctly. Once across the Meuse, we were already in Belgium. We joked about whether the roads would get bad now, but for quite a while, the roads were actually pretty good. Please don’t get me wrong.

Unlike yesterday in the Ruhr area, we spent much of today traveling through rural regions, which was a welcome change – especially since the previous day had been the exact opposite. We made relatively good progress, though we had to keep in mind that that the roads could be a bit harder in Belgium.

However, we rode on excellent bike paths most of the time but had some hard parts too. We hadn’t actually realised that using these bike paths was mandatory for larger groups – or at least, that was the impression we were given. Since the paths were generally of good quality and usually somewhat wider than those in Germany, this didn’t pose a problem.

We therefore reached the planned rest stops relatively quickly; there were always good provisions available there, even if the arrangements were made somewhat on the spur of the moment. Adequate supplies are absolutely essential on such long tours, and I had no cause for complaint in that regard. The mere fact that someone is there to provide us with food and drinks the moment we arrive at a rest stop is invaluable. It is something that cannot be appreciated enough. Thank you so much guys from our Service Team!

Some food was even sponsored by the employer of friends or family members of team members. How wonderful! Thank you so much!

But today, we essentially managed a sort of “self-supported” refuels, thanks to two additional and rather spontaneous stops. This was possible because the route was shorter and flatter, leaving plenty of time for extra breaks.

For the first extra stop we went to an ice cream parlor in Leuven. I actually adjusted our route on the spur of the moment just to get there. Spontaneous changes of plan can be lots of fun but sometimes they don’t go entirely smoothly, though. But the ice cream was phenomenally good. And Leuven’s old town is well worth seeing. Finally, a bit of sightseeing and culture -something there’s rarely much time for, given our tight schedule. That makes me appreciate this opportunity all the more.

The second stop was at an official fan club for Remco Evenepoel – a magnificent Belgian cyclist, a multiple world champion, and a true giant of Belgian sport. Cycling enthusiasts gather at the café “In den Congo” for a cold drink. For us, it was a welcome opportunity for some pleasant refreshment.

After all we happily arrived at the hotel in Brussels. What a nice hotel it was.

On a trip like this you may reach the point to do the laundry as we don’t have a clean set for each day. And even if, it’s also a matter of logistics then.

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.

Last but not least:

Map of the day, stage five: Sittard (NL) to Brussels

Statistic of the day: