Just after 6.30 AM and what do we see? A blue sky! Short after 8.30 AM Derk has left again.

After a small col that’s hardly a col the landscape changes dramatically. No more hills, only flat roads.

We are called by Wim, he was yesterday already near our location and now we rendezvous at Altkirch. Wim arrives just at the right moment, because of several low tunnels we are no longer able to follow Derk.

We meet again with Derk in Wahlbach. He changes his rear wheel and continues with a carbon wheel. He wants to save his other Snek for the mountains ahead and has a little less air-drag with the carbon one.

Just a few kilometres further we find Derk with a broken cable of his rear brake. Good timing again, because Wim has taken a lot of spare parts from Holland. Derk changes the cable himself, who could do it faster?

And then to Noel Cerneux, near Pontarlier. A beautiful road, but busy. Nevertheless Derk manages to move on fast. Again several descents and ditto ascents. Derk seems unstoppable, he has a perfect rhythm and looks like he is making his mileage completely relaxed. But L’Alp d’Huez is ahead!

But now it’s time to stop, Derk is dragged off his bike again and we stay the night in Morteau.