58 miles ridden – 1007m climbed – temperature 28C

Day 3 is usually my tough day. My body is complaining but my mind is happy to be out on the bike – mind over matter! The very first thing we had to negotiate was a 12% hill just to get out of the hotel but after that it was gently undulating along quiet if somewhat uninteresting roads.

There was only one place to stop at today – Manciano at 20 miles where we enjoyed coffee made with a 1935 epic device. It was quite a busy place which shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when there was nothing else around it.

The approach was a 4 mile climb averaging 6 or 7% which was a good challenge although none of us realised how humid it was until we stopped and realised we were all drenched with sweat.

The next 40 miles was empty. The odd farmhouse or remote holiday home but nowhere for water, food or indeed anything! It was relatively flat with the odd slope here and there and even a stretches where we had a tailwind.

I guess the highlight of the day was the growing camaraderie between the riders. I spent the day riding with Martin from Harlow, Colin from Manchester, and James from Birmingham. Although a lot of the riding needed to be in single file conversations start to flow more easily. That aspect was a treat.

The best picture was one of me taken by Martin on Sunday. That was a beautiful day!